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 124 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's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. sharp — clever
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mark — a trace
  5. perch — the fish
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a committee
  10. deal — to handle
  11. mark — a grade
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bound — tied together
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — a coil
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — certain
  22. prune — to trim
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. sharp — with an edge

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