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: bore · perch · spring · bulb · bat · scale · foot · dip

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bore — to tire
  4. spring — of water
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bulb — for light
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. foot — a measure
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. spring — a coil
  12. perch — the fish
  13. spring — the season
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. scale — in music
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bore — to drill

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