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: suit · leaves · can · bat · perch · shower · ball · file

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. perch — the fish
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. suit — in cards
  5. ball — a dance
  6. file — a tool
  7. ball — a great time
  8. shower — rain
  9. can — a tin
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. file — a line of people
  13. suit — clothes
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bat — the animal
  16. suit — to fit
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. can — a tin
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. file — a document
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. can — to be able to

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