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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. face — part of the head
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. mine — for digging
  6. game — wild animals
  7. face — to point toward
  8. perch — the fish
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bank — for money
  11. staff — employees
  12. bank — of a river
  13. face — to confront
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. staff — employees
  16. bank — for money
  17. saw — the tool
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. saw — the tool
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. staff — a stick
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. game — a match

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