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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  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. bass — low music
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. root — of a plant
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. club — for golf
  7. club — a group
  8. drill — the tool
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bass — the fish
  11. root — of a word
  12. drill — army training
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. club — for dancing
  15. root — the cause
  16. suit — in cards
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. suit — to fit
  19. drill — a practice
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. hide — animal skin
  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