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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. last — to go on
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fine — all right
  10. perch — the fish
  11. craft — a skill
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bark — to shout
  17. fine — high quality
  18. craft — boats
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mine — for digging
  22. last — final
  23. last — finally
  24. safe — out of danger

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