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

Word bank: row · cabinet · date · lean · mark · drill · perch · swing

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mark — a trace
  5. swing — in golf
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — to play on
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. row — a line
  11. drill — a practice
  12. lean — to bend
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. lean — thin
  18. mark — a grade
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. drill — army training
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. date — the fruit
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. row — to paddle

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