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: snap · degree · ball · bulb · bark · bear · root · club

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. degree — from a university
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. root — of a word
  6. club — for dancing
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. ball — a dance
  10. root — the cause
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bear — the animal
  13. root — of a plant
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. degree — temperature
  16. club — a group
  17. bulb — for light
  18. snap — to click
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. club — for golf
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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