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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. hand — help
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. court — of law
  5. pop — to visit
  6. can — a tin
  7. court — for sport
  8. can — to be able to
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bore — to drill
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to tire
  17. spring — the season
  18. hand — in cards
  19. court — of a king
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pop — soda
  22. pop — music
  23. can — a tin
  24. spring — of water

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