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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. shower — to wash
  4. perch — the fish
  5. shower — rain
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. last — finally
  12. clip — for paper
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. lean — to bend
  16. rock — music
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. clip — to cut
  20. clip — a video
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. rock — a stone
  24. last — final

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