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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. drill — a practice
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. club — a group
  9. drill — army training
  10. mine — for digging
  11. branch — a division
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. club — for dancing
  16. perch — the fish
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. wax — to grow
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. drill — the tool
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. bulb — for light
  24. club — for golf

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