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: kick · kid · bark · mine · lie · bear · perch · march

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. perch — the fish
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bear — the animal
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bark — to shout
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — child
  13. mine — for digging
  14. march — the month
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — in football
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bear — the animal
  22. kid — to tease
  23. march — music
  24. march — the month

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