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 120 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: firm · pound · deal · rule · rash · wake · cell · perch

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. cell — a phone
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. firm — decided
  7. perch — the fish
  8. rash — a series
  9. deal — to handle
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — a trail
  12. cell — in biology
  13. rule — government
  14. rash — hasty
  15. firm — steady
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. rule — a law
  20. pound — a weight
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. wake — before a funeral

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