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: temple · perch · last · scale · bark · shower · staff · lash

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. last — to go on
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bark — to shout
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. staff — a stick
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. shower — rain
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. last — finally
  18. scale — in music
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. last — final
  21. perch — the fish
  22. scale — size or range
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bark — of a tree

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