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 120 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. can — a tin
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. branch — a division
  5. bark — to shout
  6. squash — to crush
  7. can — a tin
  8. cell — a phone
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rest — what's left
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. perch — the fish
  13. squash — the sport
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. fork — in a road
  16. rest — a break
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. can — to be able to
  23. cell — in biology
  24. bark — of a tree

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