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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. lean — thin
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. firm — a company
  8. mug — a face
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. face — to confront
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. mug — a cup
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. branch — a division
  16. firm — decided
  17. mug — to rob
  18. lean — to bend
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to point toward
  22. perch — the fish
  23. firm — steady
  24. kid — child

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