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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. key — for a lock
  6. pop — to visit
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — to rip
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. key — in music
  15. pop — soda
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. pop — music
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. tear — from crying
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. key — the most important part
  24. chair — a leader

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