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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. tube — the underground
  3. spell — magic
  4. mug — a face
  5. perch — the fish
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. spell — a short time
  10. mug — to rob
  11. rest — what's left
  12. spell — letters
  13. bat — the animal
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. rest — a break
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. mug — a cup
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. tube — a container
  24. sharp — with an edge

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