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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. spell — magic
  4. spring — a coil
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. branch — a division
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. press — to push
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. bulb — for light
  13. press — a publisher
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. perch — the fish
  16. spring — the season
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bulb — for light
  20. spring — of water
  21. press — newspapers
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — a short time
  24. perch — for a bird

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