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 cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. roll — a cake
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. field — farmland
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. roll — a list
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bulb — for light
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. ball — a dance
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bulb — for light
  17. tear — to rip
  18. perch — the fish
  19. field — a subject
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. ball — a great time
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. field — for sport

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