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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pop — music
  7. track — a song
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. lie — to recline
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. track — to keep track
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. tube — a container
  18. track — a path
  19. pop — soda
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. tube — the underground

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