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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. date — the fruit
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. root — of a plant
  7. mate — to breed
  8. fall — the season
  9. hand — in cards
  10. fall — to drop
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. fall — to drop
  13. mate — a partner
  14. ball — a great time
  15. mate — a friend
  16. rush — hurry
  17. root — of a word
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. root — the cause
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. ball — a dance
  23. perch — the fish
  24. rush — a thrill

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