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's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wound — an injury
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. perch — the fish
  7. wind — moving air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. swing — music
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wind — moving air
  13. swing — in golf
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. pitch — completely
  16. swing — to play on
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. snap — to click

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