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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. cap — a hat
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. cap — of ice
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. mug — a cup
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. cap — a lid
  16. shower — rain
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bear — the animal
  19. roll — a list
  20. mug — a face
  21. mug — to rob
  22. shower — to wash
  23. roll — a cake
  24. perch — for a bird

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