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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. snap — to click
  6. court — for sport
  7. land — a country
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bulb — for light
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. court — of a king
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. court — of law
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. land — ground
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bore — to tire
  24. land — to come down

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