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'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. cue — a hint
  3. perch — the fish
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. season — in sport
  8. wake — a trail
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. row — to paddle
  11. season — of the year
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — a division
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. cue — a signal
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. row — a line
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. cue — for pool

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