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: kid · wake · leaves · pitch · file · safe · perch · bay

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. file — a document
  7. file — a tool
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. kid — to tease
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. wake — a trail
  14. pitch — completely
  15. file — a line of people
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. perch — the fish
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. pitch — a sports field

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