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 · pass · temple · field · ball · cap · pitcher · hide

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a lid
  8. field — a subject
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a dance
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. ball — a great time
  14. perch — the fish
  15. field — for sport
  16. cap — a hat
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. field — farmland
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pass — a permit

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