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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. pit — a hole
  5. mug — a cup
  6. track — a path
  7. rush — hurry
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. land — to come down
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. mug — to rob
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. squash — to crush
  14. track — to keep track
  15. mug — a face
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. land — ground
  18. land — a country
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. pit — in a race
  21. squash — the sport
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. track — a song

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