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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. race — the arms race
  5. race — humankind
  6. march — the month
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cell — a phone
  10. march — music
  11. rock — a stone
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. march — the month
  15. rock — music
  16. race — a contest
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mark — a grade
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. cell — in biology
  24. perch — the fish

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