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 120 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bank — of a river
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. bank — for money
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. dip — to sink
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — size or range
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. stock — shares
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. stock — goods
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bank — for money
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. wound — an injury
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. wound — an injury

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