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 120 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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. tube — a container
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — to point toward
  6. perch — the fish
  7. squash — to crush
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bear — the animal
  10. march — the month
  11. spell — a short time
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. march — the month
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. spell — magic
  21. bear — the animal
  22. squash — the sport
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. spell — letters

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