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: clip · lean · bulb · perch · board · net · stock · game

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — for catching
  4. game — a match
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bulb — for light
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. clip — for paper
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. board — to get on
  11. clip — to cut
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. clip — a video
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. bulb — for light
  17. net — after costs
  18. lean — thin
  19. stock — goods
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. lean — to bend
  23. stock — shares
  24. board — a committee

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