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: tube · bore · leaves · perch · cabinet · wind · pitcher · bowl

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. tube — the underground
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. wind — moving air
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bore — to tire
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. tube — a container
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bowl — to roll

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