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: mark · wind · swing · perch · staff · prune · stand · sharp

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. swing — to play on
  3. mark — a grade
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. staff — employees
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. wind — moving air
  9. mark — a trace
  10. perch — the fish
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. prune — to trim
  13. sharp — clever
  14. swing — music
  15. prune — to trim
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — a stick
  18. wind — moving air
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. swing — in golf
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. perch — for a bird

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