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: ground · rest · perch · shower · season · file · stick · last

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. season — in sport
  3. file — a line of people
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. season — of the year
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. ground — a position
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. last — final
  10. shower — rain
  11. last — to go on
  12. ground — crushed
  13. file — a tool
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. ground — the earth
  16. file — a document
  17. shower — to wash
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. rest — what's left
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. rest — a break
  22. perch — the fish
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rest — what's left

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