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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. rest — a break
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. mate — a partner
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. charge — a price
  13. perch — the fish
  14. rest — what's left
  15. charge — electricity
  16. craft — boats
  17. rest — what's left
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — the sport
  21. mate — to breed
  22. charge — in control
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bowl — a football final

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