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: cell · perch · lie · pop · ground · deal · lean · squash

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. lie — to recline
  4. squash — to crush
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — music
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. ground — crushed
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lean — to bend
  13. ground — the earth
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. deal — to handle
  16. ground — a position
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pop — to visit
  22. squash — the sport
  23. lean — thin
  24. cell — a phone

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