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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. ground — crushed
  6. rush — hurry
  7. track — a path
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. ground — the earth
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bat — the animal
  18. chair — a leader
  19. can — a tin
  20. ground — a position
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. track — a song
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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