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: spring · mug · fan · bulb · temple · cold · cue · perch

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. perch — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. cue — a signal
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. spring — a coil
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. mug — a cup
  14. spring — of water
  15. cold — not warm
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. cue — for pool
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. cold — an illness
  22. mug — a face
  23. cue — a hint
  24. fan — to cool the air

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