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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. perch — the fish
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. staff — employees
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. pitch — completely
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. wind — moving air
  21. staff — employees
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — to shout
  24. jam — in traffic

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