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 124 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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — the fish
  5. kid — child
  6. bat — the animal
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. mark — a trace
  9. wake — a trail
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a leader
  19. rock — music
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. rock — a stone
  22. mark — a grade
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. kid — to tease

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