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 120 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. wind — moving air
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bass — the fish
  6. tear — to rip
  7. chest — of your body
  8. squash — to crush
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. tear — from crying
  11. perch — the fish
  12. chest — of your body
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. tear — from crying
  15. chest — a box
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. pass — a permit
  20. mate — a partner
  21. wind — moving air
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. mate — a friend
  24. pass — to succeed

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