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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. chest — a box
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. perch — the fish
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. march — the month
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. squash — to crush
  13. chest — of your body
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. march — music
  17. squash — the sport
  18. march — the month
  19. chest — of your body
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. fan — a supporter

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