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 · kick · game · perch · clip · fork · foot · sharp

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fork — in a road
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. clip — a video
  6. sharp — clever
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. game — wild animals
  9. foot — a measure
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. clip — to cut
  17. kick — in football
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. game — a match
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. clip — for paper

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