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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. spell — magic
  5. march — the month
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. march — the month
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. fine — high quality
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. spell — a short time
  15. kid — to tease
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. fine — all right
  18. kid — child
  19. spell — letters
  20. stem — to come from
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. march — music
  24. racket — a loud noise

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