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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. ground — the earth
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. ground — crushed
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. march — the month
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — moving air
  9. mark — a trace
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. ground — a position
  15. march — the month
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. tube — a container
  19. band — a ring
  20. mark — a grade
  21. band — a music group
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. march — music
  24. tube — the underground

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