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 120 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: chair · mark · nail · lean · season · pop · stock · perch

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. mark — a grade
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. perch — the fish
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. stock — shares
  10. pop — music
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. pop — soda
  13. chair — a leader
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to bend
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stock — goods
  19. season — in sport
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. mark — a trace
  23. pop — to visit
  24. perch — for a bird

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