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: perch · roll · nail · track · bear · game · straw · saw

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. perch — the fish
  3. track — a path
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bear — the animal
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. game — wild animals
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bear — the animal
  14. game — a match
  15. track — a song
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. track — to keep track
  22. roll — a list
  23. roll — a cake
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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