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 120 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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. staff — employees
  4. field — a subject
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — letters
  7. charge — electricity
  8. season — in sport
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — the fish
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. staff — employees
  13. charge — a price
  14. field — for sport
  15. staff — a stick
  16. spring — the season
  17. field — farmland
  18. season — of the year
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. charge — in control
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — of water
  23. spell — a short time
  24. temple — side of the head

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