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 120 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 · rule · bark · bank · bat · board · lash · march

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. perch — the fish
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. march — the month
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rule — a law
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. march — the month
  13. rule — government
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. board — a committee
  18. bank — for money
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. march — music
  21. bank — for money
  22. board — to get on
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. lash — an eyelash

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