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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. row — to paddle
  5. mate — a friend
  6. object — a thing
  7. perch — the fish
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. last — final
  14. object — to protest
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. last — finally
  18. row — a line
  19. mate — to breed
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. mate — a partner
  22. last — to go on
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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