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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — a series
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. perch — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. stem — to come from
  9. squash — to crush
  10. cap — a hat
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. sharp — clever
  18. squash — the sport
  19. board — a committee
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. cap — a lid
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. cap — of ice
  24. pitcher — a jug

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