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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. charge — in control
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. charge — electricity
  5. row — a line
  6. bark — to shout
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — of water
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. row — to paddle
  16. rash — hasty
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. tear — from crying
  20. rash — a series
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. spring — a coil
  23. stand — to bear
  24. charge — a price

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