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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. row — to paddle
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — all right
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. perch — the fish
  13. squash — the sport
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — a trail
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. row — a line
  22. fork — in a road
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. calf — of the leg

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