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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. board — to get on
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. tear — from crying
  5. field — for sport
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. staff — a stick
  10. field — a subject
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. tear — from crying
  13. firm — steady
  14. snap — to click
  15. squash — the sport
  16. perch — the fish
  17. field — farmland
  18. board — a committee
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — employees
  21. tear — to rip
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. firm — a company
  24. squash — to crush

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