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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  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. cue — for pool
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. cue — a hint
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. cold — an illness
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. cue — a signal
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. cold — not warm
  22. wake — a trail
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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