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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. row — to paddle
  3. spell — a short time
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. roll — a cake
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. wound — an injury
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. spell — letters
  10. wound — an injury
  11. march — the month
  12. roll — a list
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. spell — magic
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. row — a line
  18. march — music
  19. perch — the fish
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. wave — of the sea

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