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: perch · net · charge · track · fan · tear · present · squash

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. tear — from crying
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — for catching
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. track — a path
  7. present — there
  8. squash — the sport
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. charge — electricity
  11. tear — to rip
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. perch — the fish
  14. charge — in control
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. present — the time now
  17. tear — from crying
  18. track — a song
  19. charge — a price
  20. net — after costs
  21. squash — to crush
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. present — a gift
  24. track — to keep track

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