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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. foot — a measure
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. march — music
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. march — the month
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. roll — a cake
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. perch — the fish
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bulb — for light
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. roll — a list
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. march — the month
  23. toast — bread
  24. branch — a division

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