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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  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. tear — to rip
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. rock — a stone
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — the fish
  9. rock — music
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. scale — in music
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bulb — for light
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. pit — in a race
  20. scale — size or range
  21. perch — the fish
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bulb — of a plant
  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