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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. row — to paddle
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. perch — the fish
  7. stock — shares
  8. pitch — completely
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. row — a line
  16. bound — obliged
  17. stock — goods
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — tied together
  22. date — the fruit
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. wax — in the ear

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