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: bark · lean · bulb · fan · tear · track · fall · scale

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. fall — the season
  3. track — a song
  4. track — a path
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. track — to keep track
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bulb — for light
  10. tear — from crying
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. fall — to drop
  13. tear — to rip
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. scale — size or range
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. scale — in music
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bark — to shout
  22. tear — from crying
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. fall — to drop

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