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 120 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: rest · perch · can · march · tube · straw · bank · snap

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. bank — of a river
  3. perch — the fish
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. can — to be able to
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. tube — a container
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. march — music
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. tube — the underground
  12. bank — for money
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rest — a break
  15. march — the month
  16. snap — to click
  17. can — a tin
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. rest — what's left
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. bank — for money
  22. can — a tin
  23. march — the month
  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