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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. rock — music
  3. season — in sport
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — to get on
  7. cell — a phone
  8. perch — the fish
  9. board — a committee
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. branch — a division
  12. cell — in biology
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. rock — a stone
  15. mark — a grade
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. season — of the year
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. safe — out of danger

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