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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. stem — to come from
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. kid — child
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. fall — to drop
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. track — a song
  11. fall — the season
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. track — a path
  14. perch — the fish
  15. ball — a great time
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. ball — a dance
  19. kid — to tease
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. ball — a round shape

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