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 · tube · hand · mouse · lean · ground · leaves · branch

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. ground — the earth
  7. hand — help
  8. lean — to bend
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. perch — the fish
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. ground — crushed
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. branch — a division
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. tube — a container
  20. ground — a position
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. tube — the underground
  23. lean — thin
  24. leaves — to go away

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