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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. kid — child
  4. track — a path
  5. march — the month
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. track — a song
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. march — the month
  11. mate — to breed
  12. march — music
  13. bank — for money
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. bank — for money
  17. track — to keep track
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. mate — a friend
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bank — of a river
  22. mate — a partner
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. pitch — completely

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