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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. fine — all right
  4. bark — to shout
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bat — the animal
  8. rash — a series
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rash — hasty
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. fine — high quality
  19. perch — the fish
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. perch — for a bird

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