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 light ________________ burned out.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. shower — to wash
  5. perch — the fish
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. snap — to click
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — for dancing
  12. sharp — clever
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. club — a group
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. kick — in football
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. shower — rain
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. sharp — with an edge

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