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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. spring — of water
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bound — certain
  7. bulb — for light
  8. spring — the season
  9. bound — obliged
  10. pop — soda
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. bound — tied together
  14. net — after costs
  15. perch — the fish
  16. key — in music
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. key — for a lock
  19. pop — music
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. net — in sport
  22. spring — a coil
  23. net — for catching
  24. key — the most important part

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