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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. prune — to trim
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. track — a song
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. saw — the tool
  11. perch — the fish
  12. prune — to trim
  13. charge — in control
  14. bat — the animal
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. saw — the tool
  17. field — a subject
  18. charge — a price
  19. field — farmland
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. track — to keep track
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. track — a path
  24. field — for sport

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