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 · hide · last · bowl · suit · pop · rest · racket

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. last — to go on
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. pop — to visit
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. suit — to fit
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. last — final
  10. suit — in cards
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rest — what's left
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rest — a break
  18. last — finally
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. rest — what's left
  22. suit — clothes
  23. pop — music
  24. pop — soda

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