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: fan · bowl · snap · court · perch · wake · stick · sharp

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. perch — the fish
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. snap — to click
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. court — of a king
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. court — of law
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. court — for sport
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. sharp — clever

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