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 120 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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  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. perch — the fish
  2. scale — in music
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. snap — to click
  15. bass — low music
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. scale — size or range
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  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