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: lash · field · pop · lean · sharp · straw · face · perch

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. field — for sport
  4. face — to confront
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. pop — music
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. sharp — clever
  12. field — farmland
  13. face — to point toward
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. pop — soda
  16. lean — to bend
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. lean — thin
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. face — part of the head
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. pop — to visit
  23. perch — the fish
  24. field — a subject

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