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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: board · perch · pitcher · craft · bulb · drill · ground · content

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. craft — a skill
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. craft — boats
  7. content — happy
  8. bulb — for light
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. ground — a position
  12. drill — army training
  13. bulb — for light
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. board — a committee
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. ground — crushed
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. drill — a practice
  21. content — the amount
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. ground — the earth

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