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 120 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: capital · wound · spell · fall · hide · saw · stick · perch

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. fall — the season
  3. wound — an injury
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wound — an injury
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. perch — the fish
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — a short time
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. spell — letters
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. capital — money
  21. capital — a city
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. fall — to drop

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