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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. shower — rain
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — to visit
  6. cap — of ice
  7. bulb — for light
  8. cap — a lid
  9. spell — a short time
  10. pop — music
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. club — a group
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — magic
  17. shower — to wash
  18. cap — a hat
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bulb — for light
  21. club — for dancing
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — in sport
  24. club — for golf

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