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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. fall — the season
  4. can — to be able to
  5. ground — the earth
  6. row — a line
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. last — final
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. fall — to drop
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. saw — the tool
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. last — to go on
  19. perch — the fish
  20. fall — to drop
  21. ground — a position
  22. row — to paddle
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. ground — crushed

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