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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. degree — an amount
  3. board — a committee
  4. charge — in control
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. perch — the fish
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. spell — magic
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. bulb — for light
  11. spell — letters
  12. degree — from a university
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bound — obliged
  16. degree — temperature
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — certain
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. board — to get on
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. spell — a short time

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