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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — a measure
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. track — a path
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. rule — government
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. land — a country
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. track — to keep track
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. stem — to come from
  16. perch — the fish
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. land — to come down
  19. bulb — for light
  20. land — ground
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. bulb — for light
  23. track — a song
  24. dip — to sink

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