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: root · race · march · hide · perch · swing · mark · cue

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. cue — a signal
  7. march — the month
  8. race — the arms race
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. perch — the fish
  11. root — of a plant
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. swing — music
  14. race — a contest
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. root — of a word
  17. swing — to play on
  18. march — music
  19. cue — for pool
  20. march — the month
  21. swing — in golf
  22. cue — a hint
  23. root — the cause
  24. race — humankind

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