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: hide · rock · perch · ground · bark · tear · fan · fine

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — high quality
  4. ground — the earth
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. tear — from crying
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. tear — from crying
  9. rock — a stone
  10. perch — the fish
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bark — to shout
  15. ground — crushed
  16. rock — music
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. ground — a position
  21. tear — to rip
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. hide — animal skin

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