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 120 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. ground — crushed
  4. track — a path
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. ground — a position
  7. wake — a trail
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. track — to keep track
  10. perch — the fish
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. track — a song
  14. lean — thin
  15. pop — soda
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. can — a tin
  18. lean — to bend
  19. pop — to visit
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. pop — music
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. ground — the earth

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