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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. branch — a division
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bank — of a river
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. wound — an injury
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. bear — the animal
  14. scale — size or range
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bear — the animal
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. perch — the fish
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. scale — in music

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