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: cold · perch · foot · arm · rest · dip · bulb · last

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cold — an illness
  4. rest — what's left
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. last — final
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. cold — not warm
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. last — finally
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. bulb — for light
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. dip — to sink
  17. rest — a break
  18. bulb — for light
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. last — to go on
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. foot — a measure

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