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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: scale · capital · snap · trunk · coach · cue · perch · land

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. scale — size or range
  4. cue — a hint
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. capital — money
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. perch — the fish
  9. land — a country
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. land — ground
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. snap — to click
  16. land — to come down
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — for pool
  21. capital — a city
  22. scale — in music
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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