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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. file — a line of people
  6. hand — in cards
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. rest — a break
  10. file — a tool
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — help
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. track — a song
  16. track — a path
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. pitch — completely
  19. perch — the fish
  20. track — to keep track
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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