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: perch · spring · cabinet · jam · bulb · straw · bat · date

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. spring — of water
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. date — the fruit
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. perch — the fish
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bat — the animal
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. spring — a coil

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