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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. bass — low music
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. land — ground
  11. bulb — for light
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bulb — for light
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. scale — in music
  16. land — to come down
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bass — the fish
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. fork — in a road

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