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: pop · perch · mine · stand · wake · face · clip · trunk

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. clip — to cut
  3. mine — for digging
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — soda
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. face — to point toward
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. face — part of the head
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. face — to confront
  16. perch — the fish
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. clip — for paper
  22. wake — a trail
  23. clip — a video
  24. mine — an explosive

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