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: toast · root · calf · season · row · bark · perch · present

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. root — of a word
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. present — there
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. perch — the fish
  9. root — of a plant
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. season — in sport
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. season — of the year
  18. root — the cause
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — a gift
  21. toast — bread
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. row — to paddle

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