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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. face — part of the head
  3. rash — a series
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — a trail
  6. prune — to trim
  7. court — of a king
  8. rash — hasty
  9. row — a line
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. court — of law
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. face — to confront
  19. court — for sport
  20. perch — the fish
  21. face — to point toward
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. prune — to trim
  24. perch — for a bird

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