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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. roll — a cake
  4. stock — goods
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. roll — a list
  8. cell — a phone
  9. drill — the tool
  10. stock — shares
  11. fall — to drop
  12. drill — a practice
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — size or range
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. cell — in biology
  19. drill — army training
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. fall — the season
  24. fall — to drop

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