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: tear · arm · board · rock · fork · date · perch · pop

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — to get on
  4. fork — in a road
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — music
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. date — the fruit
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. pop — to visit
  12. tear — from crying
  13. pop — music
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rock — a stone
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. board — a committee
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. tear — to rip
  22. pop — soda
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. perch — the fish

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