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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pop — soda
  4. scale — size or range
  5. rash — hasty
  6. shower — rain
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. perch — the fish
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. season — in sport
  11. pop — music
  12. scale — in music
  13. mug — a face
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. pop — to visit
  16. rash — a series
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. season — of the year
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. mug — to rob
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — the earth
  24. shower — to wash

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