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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. rush — hurry
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. can — a tin
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. march — the month
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. can — to be able to
  16. wax — to grow
  17. march — music
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. can — a tin
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. march — the month
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. arm — 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