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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bulb — for light
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. prune — to trim
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. march — the month
  9. prune — to trim
  10. cap — a lid
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. cap — of ice
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. scale — in music
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. scale — size or range
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. cap — a hat
  22. march — the month
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bulb — of a plant

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