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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. perch — the fish
  3. land — to come down
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rash — a series
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. land — ground
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bark — to shout
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. snap — to click
  24. rash — hasty

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