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: rock · squash · lash · date · perch · drill · row · cell

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. drill — the tool
  4. squash — the sport
  5. drill — army training
  6. row — to paddle
  7. cell — a phone
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. squash — to crush
  10. perch — the fish
  11. row — a line
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. date — the fruit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. drill — a practice
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. rock — music
  23. cell — in biology
  24. perch — for a bird

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