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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rule — government
  4. charge — electricity
  5. rule — a law
  6. charge — a price
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. lean — to bend
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. charge — in control
  11. land — to come down
  12. lean — thin
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — to handle
  18. perch — the fish
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. land — ground
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. land — a country
  24. lean — to rest against

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