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: leaves · tube · capital · fan · perch · bass · scale · date

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. tube — the underground
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bass — low music
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. capital — money
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. perch — the fish
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. scale — in music
  18. capital — a city
  19. scale — size or range
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bass — the fish
  22. tube — a container
  23. date — the fruit
  24. bass — the instrument

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