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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. mug — a cup
  4. cell — a phone
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. clip — a video
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. mug — a face
  12. perch — the fish
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. bore — to drill
  15. can — to be able to
  16. wax — to grow
  17. clip — to cut
  18. cell — in biology
  19. mug — to rob
  20. bore — to tire
  21. clip — for paper
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. arm — part of the body

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