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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. land — a country
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. capital — a city
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bark — to shout
  8. capital — money
  9. land — ground
  10. kick — in football
  11. object — an aim
  12. bulb — for light
  13. land — to come down
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. object — a thing
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. object — to protest
  24. capital — a big letter

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