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: bark · chair · last · saw · perch · kick · dip · present

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bark — to shout
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. last — final
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. last — to go on
  14. last — finally
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. present — the time now
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. kick — in football
  20. perch — the fish
  21. present — a gift
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. chair — a leader

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