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: suit · wound · charge · rush · perch · pitch · straw · land

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. suit — clothes
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. charge — in control
  6. land — ground
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. wound — an injury
  9. suit — in cards
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. land — a country
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. suit — to fit
  14. charge — a price
  15. wound — an injury
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — hurry
  18. charge — electricity
  19. perch — the fish
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. land — to come down
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — completely

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