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 116 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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. firm — steady
  3. rest — what's left
  4. board — a committee
  5. drill — army training
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. drill — the tool
  9. firm — a company
  10. drill — a practice
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. spell — magic
  13. firm — decided
  14. board — to get on
  15. pound — a weight
  16. perch — the fish
  17. bat — the animal
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. spell — a short time
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. spell — letters
  24. bat — for baseball

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