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: lash · perch · content · jam · ground · staff · racket · march

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. march — music
  3. ground — the earth
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. staff — employees
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. ground — a position
  12. staff — a stick
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. content — happy
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. march — the month
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. march — the month
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. ground — crushed
  21. perch — the fish
  22. content — the amount
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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