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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  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. firm — a company
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. perch — the fish
  4. cell — a phone
  5. firm — steady
  6. foot — a measure
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. cell — in biology
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. row — a line
  14. mine — for digging
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. row — to paddle
  21. firm — decided
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. row — a quarrel
  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