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 120 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. last — finally
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. last — final
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. lean — to bend
  10. rash — hasty
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bank — for money
  14. lean — thin
  15. bore — to drill
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. last — to go on
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bore — to tire
  23. wound — an injury
  24. coach — a trainer

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