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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. craft — boats
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pop — music
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. clip — to cut
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. clip — a video
  10. mate — a friend
  11. perch — the fish
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. clip — for paper
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bass — low music
  18. craft — a skill
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pop — soda
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mate — a partner
  24. craft — a handicraft

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