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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. perch — the fish
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. cue — a signal
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. capital — a city
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. swing — in golf
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. cue — a hint
  15. capital — money
  16. cue — for pool
  17. tear — from crying
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. swing — to play on
  20. swing — music
  21. fork — in a road
  22. tear — to rip
  23. dip — to sink
  24. nail — for a hammer

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