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 124 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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. key — for a lock
  3. roll — a list
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mug — to rob
  6. roll — a cake
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — of the year
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. key — in music
  12. march — the month
  13. mug — a face
  14. squash — the sport
  15. perch — the fish
  16. march — the month
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. squash — to crush
  19. march — music
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. key — the most important part
  22. season — in sport
  23. mug — a cup
  24. roll — on a roll

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