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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. perch — the fish
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — hurry
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stock — goods
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. stock — shares
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. degree — an amount
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. degree — from a university
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. stem — to come from
  20. degree — temperature
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. stem — a stem cell

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