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 · rock · ground · pound · content · roll · stand · cabinet

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. rock — music
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. roll — a cake
  7. pound — a weight
  8. rock — a stone
  9. ground — crushed
  10. stand — to bear
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. content — happy
  19. content — the amount
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. perch — the fish
  22. ground — the earth
  23. roll — a list
  24. rock — to move gently

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