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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. spell — magic
  3. stock — goods
  4. bear — the animal
  5. spell — a short time
  6. stock — shares
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. perch — the fish
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. spell — letters
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. bass — low music
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pitch — completely

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