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 116 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 · leaves · saw · rash · drill · bark · spring · bowl

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. spring — the season
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rash — a series
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. bark — to shout
  11. drill — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. drill — army training
  15. spring — of water
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. drill — a practice
  18. spring — a coil
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bulb — of a plant

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