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 116 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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. land — a country
  3. bore — to tire
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. club — for golf
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to bend
  9. land — to come down
  10. stem — to come from
  11. land — ground
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. club — for dancing
  17. season — of the year
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. perch — the fish
  22. season — in sport
  23. bore — to drill
  24. season — to add flavour

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