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: cap · field · bulb · file · dip · straw · can · perch

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. file — a line of people
  4. cap — of ice
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bulb — for light
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. file — a document
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — farmland
  11. bulb — for light
  12. file — a tool
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. can — to be able to
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. cap — a lid
  18. field — a subject
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. dip — to sink
  23. perch — the fish
  24. cap — a hat

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