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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. tube — a container
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. tube — the underground
  5. staff — employees
  6. row — a line
  7. track — a song
  8. net — in sport
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. staff — employees
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. branch — a division
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. track — a path
  18. staff — a stick
  19. track — to keep track
  20. net — for catching
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. net — after costs
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. row — to paddle

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