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: bear · fine · ground · pitcher · perch · kick · wax · coach

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. ground — the earth
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. perch — the fish
  7. kick — in football
  8. fine — all right
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. bear — the animal
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. fine — high quality
  15. ground — a position
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wax — to grow
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. ground — crushed

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