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: net · bear · fork · perch · arm · rash · fan · lean

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. lean — to bend
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. perch — the fish
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. net — after costs
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rash — a series
  11. fork — in a road
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. lean — thin
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — in sport
  20. bear — the animal
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. lean — to rest against

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