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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. spring — the season
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rush — hurry
  16. spring — of water
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bulb — for light
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. spring — a coil
  24. perch — the fish

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