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: mouse · saw · spell · perch · land · game · firm · cabinet

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. spell — magic
  3. game — a match
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. game — wild animals
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. firm — a company
  8. firm — steady
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. saw — the tool
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. perch — the fish
  16. land — a country
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. spell — letters
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. land — ground
  23. land — to come down
  24. spell — a short time

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