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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. squash — the sport
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. squash — to crush
  6. chip — for betting
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. tear — to rip
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. row — a line
  12. roll — a cake
  13. saw — the tool
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. chip — to eat
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. row — to paddle
  19. tear — from crying
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. saw — the tool
  22. tear — from crying
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. ruler — for measuring

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