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 120 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. staff — employees
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. object — to protest
  5. cold — an illness
  6. staff — a stick
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cold — not warm
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. perch — the fish
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pop — to visit
  13. staff — employees
  14. object — an aim
  15. pitch — completely
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. object — a thing
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — music
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pitch — a sports field

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