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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — hurry
  5. last — finally
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. net — in sport
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bound — tied together
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bore — to tire
  13. last — final
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. board — to get on
  16. net — for catching
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. net — after costs
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — certain
  22. board — a committee
  23. bore — to drill
  24. last — to go on

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