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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chip — to eat
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — after costs
  13. snap — to click
  14. net — in sport
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. foot — a measure
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. fork — in a road
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chest — of your body
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. perch — the fish
  24. chest — a box

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