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: suit · face · tear · coach · squash · nail · club · perch

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. club — for dancing
  4. squash — to crush
  5. perch — the fish
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. club — for golf
  11. squash — the sport
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. tear — from crying
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — clothes
  16. suit — to fit
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. club — a group
  19. tear — to rip
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — to confront
  22. tear — from crying
  23. face — part of the head
  24. perch — for a bird

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