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: kick · degree · perch · bay · club · stick · wave · mug

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mug — to rob
  4. degree — from a university
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. mug — a face
  9. degree — an amount
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. club — a group
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. club — for golf
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. degree — temperature
  19. kick — in football
  20. perch — the fish
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. club — for dancing

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