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: kick · bulb · saw · shower · perch · ball · leaves · band

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. saw — the tool
  5. ball — a dance
  6. saw — the tool
  7. band — a ring
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. shower — rain
  12. ball — a great time
  13. shower — to wash
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bulb — for light
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. band — a music group
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. kick — in football

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