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 116 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. mug — a cup
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rest — a break
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. field — farmland
  8. tube — the underground
  9. mug — a face
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. field — a subject
  13. bank — of a river
  14. perch — the fish
  15. bank — for money
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bank — for money
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. field — for sport
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. mug — to rob
  24. tube — a container

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