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: row · land · leaves · snap · toast · racket · tube · perch

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. perch — the fish
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. row — a line
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. land — a country
  11. snap — to click
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. row — to paddle
  19. tube — the underground
  20. land — ground
  21. tube — a container
  22. toast — bread
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. land — to come down

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