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: spell · leaves · cold · perch · pound · sharp · can · mouse

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. sharp — clever
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. cold — not warm
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. spell — magic
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. cold — an illness
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. can — a tin
  15. spell — letters
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. pound — a weight
  19. spell — a short time
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. can — to be able to
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. can — a tin

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