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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. can — a tin
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — a division
  6. mine — for digging
  7. ball — a great time
  8. cell — a phone
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. can — a tin
  13. scale — in music
  14. ball — a dance
  15. perch — the fish
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. cell — in biology
  19. bark — to shout
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — size or range
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. can — to be able to

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