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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. chest — a box
  5. pit — in a race
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. chest — of your body
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. kid — to tease
  14. rest — what's left
  15. perch — the fish
  16. pit — a hole
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — obliged
  21. plane — a tool
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  24. kid — child

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