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 120 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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bound — certain
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. can — to be able to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bass — low music
  10. bound — obliged
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — government
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bass — the fish
  17. can — a tin
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. chest — a box
  22. rule — a law
  23. can — a tin
  24. chest — of your body

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