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: bowl · track · bat · perch · march · jam · row · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — to rob
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. track — to keep track
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. row — a line
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. track — a path
  10. row — to paddle
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. march — music
  15. track — a song
  16. mug — a face
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. march — the month
  23. bat — the animal
  24. march — the month

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