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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. dip — to sink
  3. board — a committee
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — a trail
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. game — a match
  14. stem — to come from
  15. game — wild animals
  16. wind — moving air
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. board — to get on
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wind — moving air
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stem — of a plant

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