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 · bear · field · bat · perch · pass · bowl · straw

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. field — farmland
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. ball — a great time
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. field — a subject
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. ball — a dance
  16. perch — the fish
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. pass — a permit
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. field — for sport
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bear — the animal

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