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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. perch — the fish
  3. capital — a city
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. mine — for digging
  6. dip — to sink
  7. capital — money
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. plane — a tool
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — of ice
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. cap — a hat
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bear — the animal

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