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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. face — to point toward
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. perch — the fish
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. march — the month
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. march — the month
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. march — music
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bark — to shout

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