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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. can — to be able to
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. can — a tin
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. clip — for paper
  11. clip — a video
  12. clip — to cut
  13. field — farmland
  14. field — a subject
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. field — for sport
  18. lie — to recline
  19. perch — the fish
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wake — a trail
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. nail — on a finger

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