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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. net — for catching
  4. wind — moving air
  5. mug — a cup
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bore — to drill
  8. tube — the underground
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bore — to tire
  11. fall — to drop
  12. net — in sport
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. fall — to drop
  15. mug — to rob
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. fall — the season
  18. mug — a face
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. net — after costs
  23. perch — the fish
  24. tube — a container

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