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: stick · hand · club · cell · perch · fork · leaves · spell

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. club — a group
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. spell — a short time
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. spell — letters
  9. fork — in a road
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cell — a phone
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. hand — help
  18. perch — the fish
  19. spell — magic
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. hand — in cards
  24. club — for dancing

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