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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — music
  4. firm — decided
  5. perch — the fish
  6. stem — to come from
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. swing — in golf
  9. swing — to play on
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. swing — music
  12. drill — a practice
  13. firm — steady
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. firm — a company
  16. squash — the sport
  17. drill — army training
  18. drill — the tool
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — to crush
  24. temple — side of the head

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