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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. ball — a dance
  4. key — the most important part
  5. spell — a short time
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mate — a friend
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. tear — to rip
  10. perch — the fish
  11. ball — a great time
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. spell — letters
  14. can — a tin
  15. key — for a lock
  16. sharp — clever
  17. can — a tin
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — from crying
  20. spell — magic
  21. mate — to breed
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. key — in music

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