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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. lean — to bend
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. bank — of a river
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cold — not warm
  8. bank — for money
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. wound — an injury
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bank — for money
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. cold — an illness
  16. rock — a stone
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. wound — an injury
  19. net — after costs
  20. rock — music
  21. perch — the fish
  22. net — in sport
  23. lean — thin
  24. net — for catching

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