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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. mate — a partner
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. mate — to breed
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a grade
  10. stock — goods
  11. perch — the fish
  12. mark — a trace
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. tube — the underground
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. mate — a friend
  19. wound — an injury
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. tube — a container
  23. stock — shares
  24. wound — an injury

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