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: nail · perch · wind · foot · degree · mouse · cabinet · bass

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. degree — an amount
  6. foot — a measure
  7. wind — moving air
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wind — moving air
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. perch — the fish
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the fish
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. degree — from a university
  23. degree — temperature
  24. perch — for a bird

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