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: perch · mouse · spell · prune · dip · bulb · race · capital

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. spell — magic
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. perch — the fish
  6. race — humankind
  7. bulb — for light
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. spell — letters
  11. bulb — for light
  12. spell — a short time
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. dip — to sink
  16. race — a contest
  17. capital — a city
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. race — the arms race
  20. prune — to trim
  21. capital — money
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. prune — to trim

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