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 120 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: cap · perch · chest · shower · bound · band · firm · row

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. firm — a company
  4. bound — tied together
  5. cap — a lid
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. band — a music group
  8. perch — the fish
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — of your body
  11. shower — to wash
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. shower — rain
  14. cap — a hat
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. row — to paddle
  17. bound — certain
  18. firm — steady
  19. firm — decided
  20. band — a ring
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. chest — a box
  23. cap — of ice
  24. bound — obliged

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