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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. club — a group
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — to handle
  10. club — for dancing
  11. fall — the season
  12. club — for golf
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. track — a song
  16. hand — in cards
  17. track — to keep track
  18. perch — the fish
  19. saw — the tool
  20. hand — help
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. roll — a list
  23. roll — a cake
  24. saw — the tool

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