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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rash — hasty
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. board — to get on
  7. cap — a lid
  8. rash — a series
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. capital — a city
  13. perch — the fish
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. cap — a hat
  17. board — a committee
  18. capital — money
  19. shower — rain
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. board — a flat piece

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