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: kick · tear · saw · perch · board · rush · ball · firm

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — to get on
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. firm — steady
  7. tear — from crying
  8. rush — hurry
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. tear — to rip
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a dance
  15. firm — a company
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. firm — decided
  18. tear — from crying
  19. kick — in football
  20. board — a committee
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. saw — the tool
  23. ball — a great time
  24. saw — the tool

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