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: bark · row · content · rush · staff · perch · game · bound

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — a line
  4. bound — obliged
  5. staff — a stick
  6. content — happy
  7. staff — employees
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bark — to shout
  10. game — a match
  11. bound — certain
  12. content — the amount
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bound — tied together
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. row — to paddle
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. rush — hurry
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. staff — employees

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