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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. net — for catching
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — to eat
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bound — certain
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bound — tied together
  13. mate — to breed
  14. net — after costs
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. cell — a phone
  17. bound — obliged
  18. wound — an injury
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. chip — for betting
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mate — a partner
  23. cell — in biology
  24. net — in sport

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