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 116 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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. charge — electricity
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. wind — moving air
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — hurry
  11. capital — a city
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. bark — to shout
  16. charge — in control
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. perch — the fish
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. capital — money
  22. bear — the animal
  23. charge — a price
  24. bat — the animal

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