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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. field — for sport
  6. capital — a city
  7. bore — to drill
  8. field — farmland
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. face — part of the head
  14. rock — music
  15. bore — to tire
  16. capital — money
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. face — to confront
  19. field — a subject
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. rock — a stone
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. face — to point toward
  24. coach — a trainer

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