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: fan · bark · mine · pitch · mug · deal · leaves · perch

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. perch — the fish
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. mug — a cup
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. bark — to shout
  12. mug — a face
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — to handle
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mine — for digging
  24. leaves — lets stay

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