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: perch · wax · tube · staff · bank · mate · rule · spring

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bank — of a river
  4. mate — to breed
  5. spring — the season
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bank — for money
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. spring — a coil
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. staff — employees
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — to grow
  15. staff — a stick
  16. bank — for money
  17. rule — a law
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. rule — government
  21. mate — a friend
  22. spring — of water
  23. tube — a container
  24. staff — employees

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