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: lean · fork · capital · perch · spell · toast · pop · mouse

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. lean — thin
  4. capital — a city
  5. spell — a short time
  6. pop — soda
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. spell — magic
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. toast — bread
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. spell — letters
  19. capital — money
  20. pop — music
  21. lean — to bend
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pop — to visit
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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