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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. spring — the season
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. spring — a coil
  7. lie — to recline
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pass — a permit
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. spring — of water
  19. cold — an illness
  20. cold — not warm
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. patient — a sick person

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