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: bowl · field · wind · perch · mug · saw · straw · kick

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  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. field — farmland
  3. mug — a cup
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. saw — the tool
  6. kick — in football
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. perch — the fish
  10. wind — moving air
  11. mug — to rob
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. mug — a face
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. field — for sport
  23. saw — the tool
  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