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

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. craft — a skill
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. spell — letters
  8. cue — a hint
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. march — music
  13. bat — the animal
  14. craft — boats
  15. march — the month
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to sink
  18. perch — the fish
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. march — the month
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a signal
  23. spell — magic
  24. foot — the bottom

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