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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. perch — the fish
  4. capital — a city
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. row — a line
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. board — a committee
  13. row — to paddle
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. capital — money
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. rock — music
  20. toast — bread
  21. board — to get on
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rock — a stone
  24. row — a quarrel

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