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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. file — a tool
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bank — for money
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — moving air
  7. file — a line of people
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mate — a friend
  11. prune — to trim
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bank — for money
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. file — a document
  17. perch — the fish
  18. mate — to breed
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. mate — a partner
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bank — of a river
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. safe — out of danger

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