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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. shower — to wash
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. shower — rain
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. game — wild animals
  8. mark — a trace
  9. perch — the fish
  10. mug — a cup
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — a match
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. pound — a weight
  15. cue — for pool
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. plane — a tool
  18. mug — to rob
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cue — a signal
  22. mug — a face
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. mark — a grade

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