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 · sharp · fork · rash · drill · bass · track · bowl

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bass — the fish
  4. drill — the tool
  5. track — a song
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. rash — hasty
  8. track — a path
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — clever
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. perch — the fish
  17. track — to keep track
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. drill — army training
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. rash — a series

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