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: bulb · pound · face · last · pitcher · perch · bay · root

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. face — to point toward
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. root — the cause
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pound — a weight
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. last — to go on
  14. face — to confront
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. last — final
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. root — of a plant
  22. face — part of the head
  23. last — finally
  24. root — of a word

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