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: march · chair · cabinet · object · hide · perch · wound · bulb

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. march — the month
  3. chair — a leader
  4. wound — an injury
  5. perch — the fish
  6. object — to protest
  7. bulb — for light
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. object — a thing
  13. march — the month
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. object — an aim
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. march — music
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. perch — for a bird

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