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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. band — a music group
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. perch — the fish
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. march — the month
  10. bulb — for light
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. band — a ring
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bulb — for light
  18. march — the month
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. march — music
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. hand — help
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. hand — in cards

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