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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. ball — a dance
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. degree — temperature
  5. degree — from a university
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. hand — in cards
  8. degree — an amount
  9. stand — to bear
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. branch — a division
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. ball — a great time
  15. perch — the fish
  16. hand — help
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. cue — for pool
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — a signal
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stand — for spectators

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