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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. file — a tool
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. suit — clothes
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. pound — a weight
  8. file — a line of people
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. perch — the fish
  11. cell — a phone
  12. suit — in cards
  13. file — a document
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — a line
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. capital — money
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cell — in biology
  23. suit — to fit
  24. capital — a city

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