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: lie · rock · perch · board · patient · bark · march · pop

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rock — music
  7. board — a committee
  8. bark — to shout
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. march — music
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — music
  18. perch — the fish
  19. rock — a stone
  20. pop — soda
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. march — the month

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