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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. tube — a container
  5. present — a gift
  6. race — a contest
  7. present — there
  8. firm — a company
  9. race — the arms race
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. present — the time now
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. firm — steady
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bark — to shout
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. race — humankind
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. firm — decided
  24. dip — to sink

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