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 120 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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. wound — an injury
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mate — to breed
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — for pool
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. land — ground
  10. mug — a face
  11. ball — a dance
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — a country
  14. mug — a cup
  15. stem — to come from
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mate — a partner
  18. ball — a great time
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wound — an injury
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. cue — a signal
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. mate — a friend

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