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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bulb — for light
  8. drill — a practice
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. season — in sport
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. drill — army training
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. drill — the tool

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