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

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. mate — to breed
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bat — the animal
  7. fork — in a road
  8. mate — a partner
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — a stone
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. season — in sport
  17. season — of the year
  18. rock — music
  19. mate — a friend
  20. perch — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. perch — for a bird

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