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: chip · perch · band · cue · wake · spell · cell · bear

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. spell — a short time
  3. cue — a signal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. band — a music group
  7. cue — a hint
  8. band — a ring
  9. chip — for betting
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. spell — magic
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bear — the animal
  15. cell — a phone
  16. chip — to eat
  17. spell — letters
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. cell — in biology
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. cue — for pool
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. wake — a trail
  24. band — a rubber band

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