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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a great time
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. ground — a position
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. chair — a leader
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. ground — crushed
  14. root — of a word
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. pound — a weight
  19. ground — the earth
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. root — of a plant
  22. root — the cause
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. perch — for a bird

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