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: hide · bowl · fork · lean · chest · club · toast · perch

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. lean — thin
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. club — for golf
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. perch — the fish
  13. club — for dancing
  14. lean — to bend
  15. chest — a box
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — bread
  19. chest — of your body
  20. fork — in a road
  21. chest — of your body
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. hide — animal skin

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