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 120 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 · mouse · cabinet · board · present · pitcher · mate · field

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  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. mate — a friend
  2. present — there
  3. present — a gift
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. field — farmland
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. present — the time now
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. field — for sport
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. mate — to breed
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. board — a committee
  18. perch — the fish
  19. board — to get on
  20. field — a subject
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mate — a partner
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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