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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cold — an illness
  4. fine — all right
  5. mug — a cup
  6. field — farmland
  7. field — for sport
  8. cold — not warm
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mug — to rob
  11. perch — the fish
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. squash — the sport
  15. fine — high quality
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. field — a subject
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mug — a face
  24. squash — to crush

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