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 got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. cell — in biology
  4. perch — the fish
  5. season — in sport
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. drill — army training
  8. mark — a trace
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — a phone
  19. drill — the tool
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. drill — a practice
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. prune — to trim

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