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 116 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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. net — in sport
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bulb — for light
  9. perch — the fish
  10. chair — a leader
  11. bark — to shout
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. net — after costs
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. content — happy
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. net — for catching
  22. content — the amount
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. fan — a supporter

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