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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — size or range
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. drill — a practice
  6. fork — in a road
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. drill — the tool
  11. scale — in music
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. perch — the fish
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. drill — army training
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bass — the fish
  24. kick — in football

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