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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bank — for money
  4. stem — to come from
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bank — of a river
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bulb — for light
  9. track — to keep track
  10. last — finally
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. last — final
  14. track — a path
  15. last — to go on
  16. bark — to shout
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. perch — the fish
  19. bank — for money
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. track — a song
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bulb — of a plant

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