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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. game — wild animals
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. clip — for paper
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. perch — the fish
  7. spring — a coil
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. suit — to fit
  10. suit — in cards
  11. prune — to trim
  12. deal — to handle
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — soda
  15. clip — a video
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. clip — to cut
  18. pop — music
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. prune — to trim
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. game — a match
  23. spring — the season
  24. spring — of water

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