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 120 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: present · file · bulb · lie · cold · perch · track · dip

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. track — a path
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. file — a tool
  6. present — there
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. file — a line of people
  9. bulb — for light
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. file — a document
  14. present — the time now
  15. cold — an illness
  16. track — a song
  17. perch — the fish
  18. lie — to recline
  19. cold — not warm
  20. dip — to sink
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bulb — for light
  24. track — to keep track

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