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 120 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: leaves · march · charge · perch · wind · rule · season · plane

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. rule — a law
  5. perch — the fish
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. march — the month
  10. wind — moving air
  11. season — of the year
  12. rule — government
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — in control
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. wind — moving air
  19. charge — a price
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. march — music
  22. season — in sport
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. march — the month

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