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 120 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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. land — a country
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. net — after costs
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — in sport
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. land — to come down
  16. land — ground
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. face — part of the head
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. perch — the fish
  24. face — to confront

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