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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. dip — to sink
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. kid — to tease
  5. kid — child
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. cue — for pool
  9. pitch — completely
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. land — a country
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cue — a signal
  19. perch — the fish
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. land — ground
  24. bowl — a dish

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