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 120 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: bank · hide · dip · land · row · kid · wake · perch

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. land — a country
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — ground
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. row — to paddle
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. row — a line
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. wake — a trail
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. dip — to sink
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. kid — child
  18. bank — of a river
  19. perch — the fish
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bank — for money
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bank — for money
  24. dip — a sauce

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