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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. perch — the fish
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. chair — a leader
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. pop — to visit
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rule — government
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. pop — music
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pop — soda
  22. wake — a trail
  23. branch — a division
  24. bulb — for light

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