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 116 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: bank · cap · perch · board · cabinet · degree · rash · wound

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. rash — hasty
  6. board — a committee
  7. degree — temperature
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bank — for money
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bank — for money
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a lid
  16. rash — a series
  17. bank — of a river
  18. degree — from a university
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cap — a hat
  21. degree — an amount
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rash — on the skin
  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