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: patient · net · date · pitch · bark · perch · ground · board

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pitch — completely
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — for catching
  6. board — a committee
  7. ground — the earth
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bark — to shout
  15. perch — the fish
  16. net — after costs
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. ground — a position
  20. date — the fruit
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. ground — crushed
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. board — to get on

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