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 116 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. fall — to drop
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. fall — the season
  10. cell — in biology
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. fall — to drop
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. perch — the fish
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. swing — music
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. swing — to play on
  24. cell — a phone

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