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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. cap — a lid
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. perch — the fish
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. mate — to breed
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. cap — a hat
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. mate — a partner
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. net — in sport
  20. cap — of ice
  21. mate — a friend
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — after costs

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