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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. can — a tin
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. fine — high quality
  5. row — a line
  6. can — a tin
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. saw — the tool
  9. fine — all right
  10. bulb — for light
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. can — to be able to
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. row — to paddle
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bulb — for light
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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