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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. wind — moving air
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. ball — a great time
  6. cap — of ice
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. band — a ring
  11. rule — government
  12. ball — a dance
  13. rule — a law
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. season — of the year
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. cap — a hat
  19. wind — moving air
  20. cap — a lid
  21. season — in sport
  22. band — a music group
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. calf — a young animal

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