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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. kid — child
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. dip — to sink
  11. perch — the fish
  12. file — a document
  13. wax — to grow
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. file — a line of people
  21. kid — to tease
  22. stand — to bear
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. kick — in football

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