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: game · file · bay · perch · racket · mark · season · content

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. season — in sport
  3. perch — the fish
  4. file — a document
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. file — a line of people
  9. season — of the year
  10. content — happy
  11. game — a match
  12. file — a tool
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — a trace
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. content — the amount
  24. game — wild animals

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