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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. drill — a practice
  4. charge — in control
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. sharp — clever
  7. charge — a price
  8. charge — electricity
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. drill — army training
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. vault — a safe
  17. drill — the tool
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. net — after costs
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — for catching
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. nail — for a hammer

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