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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. last — final
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bank — of a river
  6. season — in sport
  7. bank — for money
  8. cell — a phone
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bass — the fish
  11. cell — in biology
  12. squash — the sport
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. season — of the year
  16. squash — to crush
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. last — to go on
  19. last — finally
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bank — for money
  22. bass — low music
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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