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 116 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 · drill · can · face · coach · charge · stick · tear

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. face — part of the head
  3. charge — a price
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. perch — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. can — to be able to
  9. drill — a practice
  10. tear — from crying
  11. charge — electricity
  12. tear — to rip
  13. face — to point toward
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. tear — from crying
  16. face — to confront
  17. charge — in control
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. drill — the tool
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. drill — army training
  24. can — a tin

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