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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. scale — size or range
  5. last — final
  6. scale — in music
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. tear — to rip
  11. last — finally
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. last — to go on
  19. perch — the fish
  20. tear — from crying
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. tear — from crying

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