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: suit · bay · perch · game · straw · shower · racket · land

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. shower — to wash
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. land — ground
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. land — a country
  12. perch — the fish
  13. game — a match
  14. land — to come down
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. shower — rain
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. game — wild animals
  22. suit — to fit
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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