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 · craft · dip · squash · hand · wound · firm · staff

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. hand — help
  5. firm — a company
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — to sink
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — employees
  10. hand — in cards
  11. squash — the sport
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. firm — steady
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a skill
  16. firm — decided
  17. wound — an injury
  18. squash — to crush
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. staff — a stick
  21. wound — an injury
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. perch — the fish
  24. squash — the vegetable

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