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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. object — to protest
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. ball — a dance
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. object — a thing
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. march — the month
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. mug — a face
  13. ball — a great time
  14. perch — the fish
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. object — an aim
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mug — a cup
  21. shower — rain
  22. branch — a division
  23. shower — to wash
  24. march — the month

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