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: chip · mouse · stem · kid · spring · bark · dip · perch

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. spring — the season
  3. spring — a coil
  4. stem — to come from
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. spring — of water
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. perch — the fish
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. bark — to shout
  17. kid — child
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. chip — to eat
  20. kid — to tease
  21. chip — for betting
  22. dip — to sink
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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