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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. toast — bread
  3. spell — a short time
  4. perch — the fish
  5. charge — electricity
  6. stock — goods
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. degree — an amount
  13. charge — in control
  14. degree — from a university
  15. spell — magic
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. degree — temperature
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of law
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. court — of a king
  22. charge — a price
  23. spell — letters
  24. stock — shares

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