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 120 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 had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. shower — rain
  4. degree — from a university
  5. deal — to handle
  6. content — the amount
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. degree — temperature
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. content — happy
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. degree — an amount
  16. face — to point toward
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. face — to confront
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. firm — decided
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. firm — steady
  23. perch — the fish
  24. firm — a company

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