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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. kid — child
  5. charge — electricity
  6. face — to confront
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. drill — a practice
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. face — to point toward
  11. charge — a price
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. perch — the fish
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. drill — the tool
  16. rock — music
  17. drill — army training
  18. kid — to tease
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. face — part of the head
  21. charge — in control
  22. rock — a stone
  23. pitch — completely
  24. hand — in cards

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