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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bat — the animal
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wind — moving air
  7. can — to be able to
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. club — for dancing
  10. deal — to handle
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. pitch — completely
  19. perch — the fish
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. club — for golf
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. can — a tin
  24. club — a group

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