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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. branch — a division
  4. present — a gift
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pop — music
  7. last — final
  8. kid — child
  9. pop — soda
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. present — there
  13. pop — to visit
  14. bear — the animal
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. kid — to tease
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. last — finally
  20. perch — the fish
  21. last — to go on
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. present — the time now
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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