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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. rest — a break
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. wound — an injury
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. sharp — clever
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rest — what's left
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. mine — for digging
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. key — the most important part
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. key — in music
  23. key — for a lock
  24. rest — what's left

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