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: perch · lean · bear · wake · content · file · fall · saw

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. lean — to bend
  3. file — a document
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. file — a line of people
  6. fall — the season
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. saw — the tool
  12. file — a tool
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bear — the animal
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. content — happy
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bear — the animal
  19. saw — the tool
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. perch — the fish
  22. fall — to drop
  23. lean — thin
  24. content — videos and posts

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