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: bear · straw · perch · spring · calf · deal · pit · pop

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. pit — a hole
  4. spring — a coil
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. perch — the fish
  7. pop — music
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pit — in a race
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — the season
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. deal — to handle
  15. pop — to visit
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bear — the animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bear — the animal

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