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 116 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: swing · fall · perch · spell · prune · dip · mouse · cabinet

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — magic
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. prune — to trim
  8. spell — a short time
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. dip — to sink
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. prune — to trim
  18. fall — to drop
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. swing — to play on
  21. swing — music
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. swing — in golf
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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