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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. firm — a company
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. fall — to drop
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. rock — a stone
  9. firm — decided
  10. spring — the season
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. fall — the season
  14. firm — steady
  15. key — for a lock
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. key — the most important part
  18. spring — of water
  19. key — in music
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. wake — a trail
  22. perch — the fish
  23. spring — a coil
  24. fall — to drop

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