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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. bear — the animal
  3. chest — of your body
  4. plane — a tool
  5. rock — music
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. bear — the animal
  10. ground — the earth
  11. perch — the fish
  12. lean — to bend
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. ground — a position
  16. rock — a stone
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. lean — thin
  19. chair — a leader
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. chest — a box
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. perch — for a bird

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