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: ball · straw · sharp · pitcher · perch · wound · rock · content

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — a stone
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. content — happy
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. wound — an injury
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. ball — a great time
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. ball — a dance
  14. rock — music
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. content — the amount
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. perch — the fish
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. sharp — clever
  24. wound — an injury

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