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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. track — a song
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. track — to keep track
  5. bulb — for light
  6. track — a path
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. net — after costs
  11. hand — help
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bulb — for light
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. net — in sport
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. hand — in cards
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bark — to shout
  24. net — for catching

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