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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. swing — in golf
  3. key — for a lock
  4. bank — of a river
  5. mate — to breed
  6. spring — a coil
  7. mate — a friend
  8. key — in music
  9. mate — a partner
  10. key — the most important part
  11. toast — bread
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. spring — of water
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. swing — to play on
  16. bank — for money
  17. perch — the fish
  18. swing — music
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. bank — for money
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. spring — the season

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