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 · fall · face · rest · foot · capital · hand · shower

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. perch — the fish
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. shower — to wash
  5. rest — what's left
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. rest — what's left
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. rest — a break
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. face — to point toward
  12. capital — a city
  13. fall — the season
  14. hand — in cards
  15. fall — to drop
  16. foot — a measure
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. hand — help
  19. face — part of the head
  20. capital — money
  21. fall — to drop
  22. face — to confront
  23. shower — rain
  24. perch — for a bird

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