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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. game — wild animals
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. bank — of a river
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bank — for money
  11. perch — the fish
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wake — a trail
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — a match
  18. bank — for money
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. prune — to trim

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