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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. cell — in biology
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. net — for catching
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. net — in sport
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cell — a phone
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. perch — the fish
  12. rash — hasty
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. net — after costs
  17. lean — to bend
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. lean — thin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. rash — a series

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