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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. land — a country
  3. land — ground
  4. perch — the fish
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. present — a gift
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — to confront
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bark — to shout
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. face — part of the head
  17. row — to paddle
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. present — there
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. land — to come down
  23. row — a line
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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