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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. cell — a phone
  3. perch — the fish
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. row — a line
  7. cell — in biology
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — of a river
  10. firm — a company
  11. firm — steady
  12. board — to get on
  13. court — of law
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. court — for sport
  18. bank — for money
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. court — of a king
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. firm — decided
  24. row — to paddle

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