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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. ground — a position
  3. track — a song
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. track — to keep track
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. present — a gift
  9. rock — music
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. ground — crushed
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. last — to go on
  15. last — final
  16. swing — to play on
  17. present — there
  18. present — the time now
  19. last — finally
  20. track — a path
  21. perch — the fish
  22. swing — music
  23. swing — in golf
  24. ground — the earth

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