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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. perch — the fish
  3. season — in sport
  4. bark — to shout
  5. club — for golf
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. club — a group
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. board — to get on
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. board — a committee
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. club — for dancing
  17. last — to go on
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. last — final
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. last — finally
  23. season — of the year
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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