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 120 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: bound · kick · cap · shower · straw · rash · perch · prune

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. rash — a series
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — of ice
  5. prune — to trim
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. perch — the fish
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. rash — hasty
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — obliged
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. shower — to wash
  17. cap — a hat
  18. shower — rain
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — in football
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bound — certain
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. straw — dry grass

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