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: wake · cell · hide · patient · perch · bulb · bat · march

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wake — a trail
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bulb — for light
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. march — the month
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cell — in biology
  12. march — music
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. cell — a phone
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. perch — the fish
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. march — the month

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