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: content · shower · chest · board · perch · chip · safe · coach

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. chest — a box
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. shower — to wash
  6. content — the amount
  7. board — a committee
  8. chest — of your body
  9. shower — rain
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. content — happy
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chest — of your body
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. board — to get on
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — to eat
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. content — videos and posts

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