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: spring · last · mug · rock · drill · fine · row · perch

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. fine — high quality
  3. rock — music
  4. row — to paddle
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — all right
  7. row — a line
  8. drill — a practice
  9. spring — a coil
  10. mug — a face
  11. last — finally
  12. mug — to rob
  13. drill — army training
  14. last — final
  15. perch — the fish
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. mug — a cup
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — a stone
  20. spring — of water
  21. spring — the season
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. drill — the tool
  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