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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. club — a group
  3. rock — music
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. tear — from crying
  6. club — for golf
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. rock — a stone
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. perch — the fish
  16. tear — to rip
  17. mine — for digging
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. club — for dancing
  24. tear — from crying

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