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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. mark — a grade
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. mark — a trace
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to confront
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. file — a line of people
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. game — a match
  14. file — a tool
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. perch — the fish
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. game — wild animals
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. face — to point toward
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. chair — a leader
  24. file — a document

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