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 116 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: pit · lean · present · cabinet · drill · craft · perch · clip

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. present — a gift
  5. lean — thin
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. clip — to cut
  8. craft — a skill
  9. lean — to bend
  10. drill — the tool
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. present — there
  14. drill — army training
  15. craft — boats
  16. clip — a video
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. perch — the fish
  19. clip — for paper
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. present — the time now
  22. drill — a practice
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pit — a hole

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