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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. swing — in golf
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. row — to paddle
  5. swing — to play on
  6. pit — a hole
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bear — the animal
  9. march — the month
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. march — music
  13. roll — a list
  14. wind — moving air
  15. row — a line
  16. pit — in a race
  17. swing — music
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. march — the month
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. roll — a cake

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