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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. cue — a signal
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wake — a trail
  5. cap — a hat
  6. firm — decided
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. land — to come down
  9. branch — a division
  10. firm — a company
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. land — ground
  16. firm — steady
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cue — for pool
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cue — a hint
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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