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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. perch — the fish
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. pitch — completely
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — a division

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