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: scale · perch · trunk · leaves · chest · rush · track · deal

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. chest — of your body
  4. track — a song
  5. track — a path
  6. rush — hurry
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — a box
  10. scale — size or range
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. track — to keep track
  13. deal — to handle
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. scale — in music
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. rush — a thrill

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