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: mouse · plane · perch · arm · field · date · last · wake

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. field — farmland
  6. last — final
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. date — the fruit
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. last — finally
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. field — a subject
  13. plane — a tool
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. field — for sport
  18. perch — the fish
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. last — to go on
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. date — on the calendar

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