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 · sharp · last · kid · shower · lean · ruler · kick

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. kick — in football
  3. last — to go on
  4. lean — thin
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. lean — to bend
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. perch — the fish
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. shower — rain
  13. kid — to tease
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. sharp — clever
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. shower — to wash
  19. last — final
  20. last — finally
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. kid — child
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. sharp — with an edge

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