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: scale · perch · hide · kick · bear · game · firm · kid

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bear — the animal
  3. perch — the fish
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. firm — steady
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. game — a match
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. kid — to tease
  12. firm — decided
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. game — wild animals
  18. firm — a company
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. scale — in music
  21. kid — child
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bear — the animal
  24. game — a kind of play

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