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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. firm — steady
  3. perch — the fish
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. firm — decided
  6. season — in sport
  7. mate — to breed
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — a container
  10. mate — a friend
  11. season — of the year
  12. bark — to shout
  13. firm — a company
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. mate — a partner
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. tube — the underground
  19. net — in sport
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. net — after costs
  24. season — to add flavour

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