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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. march — music
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. fine — high quality
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. race — a contest
  9. march — the month
  10. land — a country
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. march — the month
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. land — to come down
  16. fine — all right
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. race — the arms race
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. race — humankind
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. land — ground
  24. perch — the fish

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