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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. chair — a leader
  3. charge — in control
  4. mug — a face
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. mug — a cup
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. chest — of your body
  9. mug — to rob
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. charge — electricity
  13. chest — a box
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. charge — a price
  16. stock — goods
  17. prune — to trim
  18. chest — of your body
  19. perch — the fish
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. stock — shares
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. perch — for a bird

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