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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  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. drill — a practice
  2. perch — the fish
  3. roll — a list
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. file — a line of people
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. foot — a measure
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. file — a tool
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. drill — the tool
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. roll — a cake
  16. sharp — clever
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. file — a document
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. drill — army training
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. sharp — with an edge
  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