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: calf · perch · clip · suit · bulb · foot · cold · bark

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. suit — clothes
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. clip — to cut
  6. clip — a video
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. cold — an illness
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cold — not warm
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. perch — the fish
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. clip — for paper
  23. suit — in cards
  24. bark — to shout

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