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 120 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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. perch — the fish
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bore — to tire
  12. object — an aim
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. object — to protest
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. swing — to play on
  20. swing — music
  21. object — a thing
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — to bear
  24. bat — the animal

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