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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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. content — the amount
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. rock — a stone
  16. band — a music group
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. content — happy
  19. rock — music
  20. rush — hurry
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a ring
  24. nail — on a finger

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