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 116 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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. capital — money
  3. rule — government
  4. bank — of a river
  5. charge — a price
  6. capital — a city
  7. bore — to drill
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. tube — a container
  11. bank — for money
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. scale — in music
  15. charge — electricity
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bank — for money
  18. scale — size or range
  19. rule — a law
  20. bore — to tire
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. perch — the fish
  24. charge — in control

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