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: jam · shower · lean · deal · cold · perch · craft · bore

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. lean — thin
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. shower — rain
  5. perch — the fish
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. cold — an illness
  9. deal — to handle
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. bore — to tire
  12. cold — not warm
  13. shower — to wash
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. lean — to bend
  17. craft — boats
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. bore — to drill
  24. craft — a skill

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