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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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. wave — a sudden rise
  4. present — a gift
  5. swing — in golf
  6. cell — in biology
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — a hint
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — hurry
  12. swing — to play on
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. present — the time now
  16. present — there
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. cell — a phone
  21. swing — music
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. cue — for pool

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