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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pass — a permit
  3. lean — thin
  4. shower — to wash
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. pitch — completely
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bat — the animal
  10. lean — to bend
  11. shower — rain
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. perch — the fish

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