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: straw · cabinet · foot · coach · prune · perch · pit · bark

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bark — to shout
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. perch — the fish
  18. foot — a measure
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. pit — a hole
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. pit — in a race
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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