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 120 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. shower — to wash
  4. swing — to play on
  5. bear — the animal
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bound — obliged
  8. swing — in golf
  9. shower — rain
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pound — a weight
  12. bear — the animal
  13. swing — music
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. file — a tool
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. file — a document
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bound — certain
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. nail — for a hammer

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