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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — in cards
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. rash — a series
  7. perch — the fish
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — a stone
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rash — hasty
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — to crush
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. coach — a trainer

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