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: band · drill · wake · cabinet · row · perch · rush · board

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. rush — hurry
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. band — a ring
  12. row — a line
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. drill — a practice
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. drill — army training
  17. row — to paddle
  18. band — a music group
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. board — to get on
  21. perch — the fish
  22. wake — a trail
  23. drill — the tool
  24. board — a committee

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