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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. drill — the tool
  6. tube — the underground
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. shower — to wash
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. shower — rain
  12. tube — a container
  13. bear — the animal
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. stock — shares
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. perch — the fish
  22. drill — army training
  23. stock — goods
  24. drill — a practice

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