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 · club · capital · fan · perch · mate · cabinet · tube

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. tube — the underground
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — to breed
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — a group
  12. capital — money
  13. perch — the fish
  14. capital — a city
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. kid — to tease
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. kid — child
  19. mate — a partner
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. club — for dancing
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. tube — a container

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