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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bulb — for light
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. board — to get on
  8. spring — the season
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — size or range
  11. spring — a coil
  12. present — the time now
  13. bulb — for light
  14. dip — to sink
  15. spring — of water
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. present — there
  22. board — a committee
  23. present — a gift
  24. scale — in music

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