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: face · can · march · hide · net · cabinet · perch · pitcher

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. net — after costs
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. march — the month
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — in sport
  9. can — a tin
  10. march — music
  11. face — part of the head
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. can — a tin
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. can — to be able to
  19. face — to confront
  20. march — the month
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. face — to point toward
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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