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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. key — the most important part
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bulb — for light
  5. file — a tool
  6. cap — of ice
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. spell — magic
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. key — in music
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. can — a tin
  13. cap — a hat
  14. spell — letters
  15. perch — the fish
  16. bulb — for light
  17. can — to be able to
  18. cap — a lid
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. can — a tin
  21. file — a document
  22. shower — rain
  23. spell — a short time
  24. key — for a lock

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