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: foot · row · hand · perch · bore · leaves · charge · game

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — a price
  4. game — a match
  5. game — wild animals
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. row — a line
  8. hand — help
  9. foot — a measure
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. perch — the fish
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. row — to paddle
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bore — to drill
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. charge — in control
  24. bore — to tire

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