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 120 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: game · straw · last · bound · perch · wake · can · bore

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. can — to be able to
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bound — certain
  6. last — to go on
  7. wake — a trail
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. last — finally
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. bore — to tire
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bore — to drill
  17. game — a match
  18. bound — obliged
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. last — final
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bound — tied together
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. straw — dry grass

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