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 116 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — a gift
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bark — to shout
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wax — to grow
  8. spell — letters
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. spell — magic
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. present — there
  24. wound — an injury

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