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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. race — the arms race
  4. spell — magic
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bark — to shout
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. last — finally
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. last — final
  17. race — a contest
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. spell — a short time
  20. last — to go on
  21. spell — letters
  22. stem — to come from
  23. rash — hasty
  24. race — humankind

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