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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bulb — for light
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. present — there
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. present — the time now
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. field — farmland
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. field — a subject
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. present — a gift
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — a permit
  16. shower — rain
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bulb — for light
  19. shower — to wash
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. field — for sport

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