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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. clip — to cut
  5. clip — a video
  6. court — of law
  7. rest — a break
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. board — to get on
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — the underground
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. court — for sport
  15. board — a committee
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. court — of a king
  18. fork — in a road
  19. clip — for paper
  20. tube — a container
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rest — what's left
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. rest — what's left

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