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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. tear — to rip
  5. tear — from crying
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. hand — help
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. tear — from crying
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. net — after costs
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. net — for catching
  24. safe — a strongbox

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