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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. fall — to drop
  5. staff — employees
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. shower — rain
  9. craft — a skill
  10. face — part of the head
  11. craft — boats
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. shower — to wash
  14. game — wild animals
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. staff — employees
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — to point toward
  19. game — a match
  20. fall — to drop
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. fall — the season
  23. staff — a stick
  24. perch — the fish

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