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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. mine — for digging
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fall — the season
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. perch — the fish
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mug — a face
  12. rash — a series
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. mug — to rob
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bear — the animal
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mine — belonging to me

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