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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  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. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. press — to push
  3. bulb — for light
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. wake — a trail
  6. fork — in a road
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. content — happy
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. perch — the fish
  19. content — the amount
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — a publisher
  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