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 · mark · rush · rule · hide · face · bowl · bat

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. perch — the fish
  3. mark — a trace
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. face — to confront
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. rule — government
  8. face — to point toward
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bat — the animal
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rule — a law
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. face — part of the head
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rush — hurry

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