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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. shower — to wash
  3. squash — the sport
  4. cell — in biology
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. perch — the fish
  8. shower — rain
  9. content — happy
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. sharp — clever
  17. wound — an injury
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. content — the amount
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. squash — to crush
  23. cell — a phone
  24. sharp — exactly

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