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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. row — to paddle
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. file — a line of people
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. file — a tool
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. hand — in cards
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. chair — a leader
  16. hand — help
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. file — a document
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. rock — music
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. rush — hurry
  24. perch — the fish

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