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 120 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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. land — to come down
  3. mug — to rob
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. land — ground
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. land — a country
  9. band — a ring
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. band — a music group
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. mug — a face
  14. perch — the fish
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. fine — all right
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mug — a cup
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fine — high quality

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