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: game · perch · can · hide · sharp · field · object · branch

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. perch — the fish
  7. object — a thing
  8. can — to be able to
  9. branch — a division
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. can — a tin
  12. object — to protest
  13. sharp — clever
  14. field — for sport
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. game — wild animals
  17. field — a subject
  18. game — a match
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. object — an aim
  21. field — farmland
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. game — a kind of play

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