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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — in sport
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. court — of a king
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a great time
  9. season — of the year
  10. drill — the tool
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. stem — to come from
  16. fine — high quality
  17. drill — army training
  18. court — for sport
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. perch — the fish
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. drill — a practice
  23. court — of law
  24. fine — all right

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