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: pop · bark · perch · season · kid · board · stock · present

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pop — music
  4. pop — soda
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. present — a gift
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. stock — goods
  11. board — a committee
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. perch — the fish
  14. stock — shares
  15. season — of the year
  16. season — in sport
  17. kid — to tease
  18. kid — child
  19. present — there
  20. board — to get on
  21. bark — to shout
  22. pop — to visit
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  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