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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. roll — a list
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. chip — for betting
  8. roll — a cake
  9. wind — moving air
  10. chip — to eat
  11. mate — a friend
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. kick — in football
  22. perch — the fish
  23. mate — to breed
  24. wind — moving air

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