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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. ground — a position
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. staff — employees
  7. can — a tin
  8. perch — the fish
  9. staff — employees
  10. suit — clothes
  11. can — to be able to
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. sharp — clever
  14. ground — the earth
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. staff — a stick
  18. ground — crushed
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. suit — to fit
  24. can — a tin

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