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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. kid — to tease
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. press — to push
  9. kid — child
  10. press — a publisher
  11. perch — the fish
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bass — low music
  15. bulb — for light
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. racket — a loud noise

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