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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a document
  4. capital — money
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. rock — a stone
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. kick — in football
  11. rock — music
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. file — a tool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — a hole
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. plane — a tool
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. perch — the fish
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. pit — in a race
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. capital — a city

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