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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bear — the animal
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cap — a hat
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a lid
  16. swing — music
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. perch — the fish
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bulb — for light

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