ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bore — to tire
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. prune — to trim
  9. capital — a city
  10. tube — a container
  11. perch — the fish
  12. bulb — for light
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bulb — for light
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bore — to drill
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. tube — the underground
  21. prune — to trim
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. plane — a tool
  24. capital — money

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com