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 120 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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. chest — a box
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bat — the animal
  6. squash — the sport
  7. suit — to fit
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. last — finally
  10. last — final
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. chest — of your body
  13. saw — the tool
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. squash — to crush
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. chest — of your body
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — in cards
  23. saw — the tool
  24. squash — the vegetable

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