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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. perch — the fish
  3. pop — soda
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. season — of the year
  6. wound — an injury
  7. kick — in football
  8. season — in sport
  9. board — to get on
  10. wound — an injury
  11. face — to confront
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. pop — to visit
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. board — a committee
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. face — part of the head
  21. pop — music
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the sport
  24. face — to point toward

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