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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. pop — soda
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. drill — a practice
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. club — for dancing
  8. pop — music
  9. club — a group
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. drill — army training
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. drill — the tool
  16. present — the time now
  17. perch — the fish
  18. ball — a dance
  19. mine — for digging
  20. pop — to visit
  21. ball — a great time
  22. present — a gift
  23. present — there
  24. hide — to keep secret

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