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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. track — a song
  3. track — to keep track
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. rash — a series
  7. spring — of water
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. spring — a coil
  10. rash — hasty
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. branch — a division
  13. spring — the season
  14. perch — the fish
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. track — a path
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. squash — the sport
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. squash — to crush
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. rash — on the skin

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