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: wax · scale · ground · rush · leaves · perch · cap · lie

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. cap — of ice
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. cap — a lid
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — to grow
  12. scale — size or range
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. ground — a position
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. scale — in music
  18. lie — to recline
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. ground — crushed
  21. cap — a hat
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. ground — the earth

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