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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. court — of law
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stock — goods
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. squash — the sport
  9. court — for sport
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bank — for money
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. court — of a king
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. bank — of a river
  18. squash — to crush
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. stock — shares
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bank — for money

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