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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. net — in sport
  5. bound — obliged
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. key — in music
  9. net — after costs
  10. face — to point toward
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bound — certain
  13. bound — tied together
  14. file — a tool
  15. face — to confront
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. key — for a lock
  20. net — for catching
  21. file — a document
  22. file — a line of people
  23. wound — an injury
  24. face — part of the head

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