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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a lid
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. date — the fruit
  11. shower — to wash
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. perch — the fish
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. row — to paddle
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. shower — rain
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. row — a line
  24. cap — a hat

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