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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. perch — the fish
  4. tear — from crying
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. drill — army training
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. wake — a trail
  9. season — in sport
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. tear — to rip
  12. tear — from crying
  13. stock — goods
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — a practice
  17. season — of the year
  18. track — a path
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. stock — shares
  21. track — to keep track
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. track — a song
  24. arm — a part of something

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