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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. perch — the fish
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. spell — a short time
  5. wound — an injury
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. spell — magic
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wound — an injury
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cell — a phone
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. spell — letters
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. cell — in biology
  24. foot — a measure

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