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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. saw — the tool
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. spell — magic
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. perch — the fish
  9. tear — from crying
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. spell — a short time
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. spell — letters
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. saw — the tool
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. tear — from crying
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. coach — a trainer

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