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: jam · mouse · bear · stem · perch · rush · spring · wax

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. rush — hurry
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. spring — of water
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. spring — the season
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. spring — a coil
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. stem — to come from
  17. perch — the fish
  18. wax — to grow
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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