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: drill · perch · stick · saw · field · hide · bank · wound

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. wound — an injury
  7. perch — the fish
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bank — for money
  10. field — a subject
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bank — for money
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. field — farmland
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wound — an injury
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bank — of a river
  22. drill — army training
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. field — for sport

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