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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stem — to come from
  4. hand — in cards
  5. rest — what's left
  6. perch — the fish
  7. scale — size or range
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. land — to come down
  10. hand — help
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. land — ground
  16. rush — hurry
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — a break
  23. land — a country
  24. hand — part of the body

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