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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. prune — to trim
  3. staff — employees
  4. object — to protest
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. prune — to trim
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. object — an aim
  14. staff — employees
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. staff — a stick
  17. stock — goods
  18. object — a thing
  19. swing — music
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. swing — in golf
  22. stock — shares
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. swing — to play on

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