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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. land — to come down
  4. perch — the fish
  5. pop — soda
  6. track — to keep track
  7. kick — in football
  8. track — a path
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. land — ground
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — a division
  15. march — the month
  16. land — a country
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pop — to visit
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. pop — music
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — 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