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: charge · bound · leaves · perch · mark · pitcher · hand · tube

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  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. mark — to pay attention
  2. perch — the fish
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. charge — a price
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. hand — help
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — in cards
  12. tube — a container
  13. mark — a grade
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — tied together
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. mark — a trace
  19. tube — the underground
  20. charge — in control
  21. bound — certain
  22. charge — electricity
  23. leaves — to go away
  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