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 116 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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. object — a thing
  4. object — to protest
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — of water
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. mark — a trace
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mark — a grade
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. object — an aim
  18. dip — to sink
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. stem — to come from
  22. spring — the season
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. hide — to keep secret

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