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: perch · bowl · can · wave · cell · shower · stem · bore

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. can — to be able to
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. cell — a phone
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. can — a tin
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bore — to tire
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. shower — to wash
  14. cell — in biology
  15. stem — to come from
  16. can — a tin
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. shower — rain
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. perch — the fish
  24. stem — a stem cell

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