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: perch · board · row · nail · wound · kid · safe · hand

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — help
  3. kid — to tease
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. kid — child
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wound — an injury
  13. board — to get on
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. wound — an injury
  16. perch — the fish
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. hand — in cards
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. row — a line

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