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 124 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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. squash — to crush
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. perch — the fish
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. spell — letters
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. capital — a city
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — of your body
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. chest — a box
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. capital — money
  21. squash — the sport
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — magic
  24. capital — a big letter

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