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: mate · land · fork · scale · mug · perch · squash · present

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. land — to come down
  3. mug — a cup
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. scale — size or range
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. land — ground
  8. mate — a partner
  9. fork — in a road
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — to breed
  12. squash — the sport
  13. perch — the fish
  14. present — the time now
  15. squash — to crush
  16. land — a country
  17. mug — to rob
  18. scale — in music
  19. present — a gift
  20. present — there
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. fork — to eat with

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