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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. capital — money
  7. bear — the animal
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. cold — not warm
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mark — a grade
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. capital — a city
  21. cold — an illness
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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