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: rest · staff · fall · bat · bulb · perch · bound · pitcher

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. staff — employees
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. staff — employees
  10. rest — a break
  11. perch — the fish
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — tied together
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rest — what's left
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bound — certain
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rest — what's left

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