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 116 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. stem — to come from
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — a division
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. perch — the fish
  15. sharp — clever
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. stand — to bear
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. snap — to click
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. sharp — with an edge

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