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: sharp · bat · wound · degree · wax · perch · mouse · firm

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. degree — an amount
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. firm — steady
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. wax — to grow
  14. degree — from a university
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. degree — temperature
  17. firm — a company
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. firm — decided
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bat — the animal
  22. sharp — clever
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. wound — an injury

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