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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. drill — army training
  5. fine — all right
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — the tool
  9. file — a line of people
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. perch — the fish
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. file — a document
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. file — a tool
  19. craft — a skill
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. pound — a weight
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. craft — boats
  24. fine — a penalty

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