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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. squash — the sport
  3. fine — all right
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bark — to shout
  12. branch — a division
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. fine — high quality
  24. perch — the fish

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