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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. fine — all right
  3. game — wild animals
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. kid — child
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. squash — the sport
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. charge — a price
  12. fine — high quality
  13. charge — in control
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. game — a match
  16. can — a tin
  17. perch — the fish
  18. squash — to crush
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. kid — to tease
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. charge — electricity

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