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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. degree — temperature
  5. race — a contest
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. snap — to click
  12. pound — a weight
  13. perch — the fish
  14. degree — an amount
  15. race — humankind
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. degree — from a university
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. toast — bread
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. rest — a break
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. race — the arms race

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