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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. band — a ring
  8. stem — to come from
  9. degree — an amount
  10. mark — a trace
  11. pass — a permit
  12. band — a music group
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a skill
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bore — to tire
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. mark — a grade
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. degree — temperature
  22. degree — from a university
  23. bore — to drill
  24. band — a rubber band

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