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: temple · club · bulb · clip · field · bank · perch · row

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. bank — for money
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bulb — for light
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. row — a line
  9. clip — to cut
  10. bank — for money
  11. clip — for paper
  12. club — a group
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. clip — a video
  15. field — a subject
  16. row — to paddle
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bulb — for light
  19. field — farmland
  20. club — for golf
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bank — of a river

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