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: wound · cabinet · wake · can · perch · hand · cell · spell

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wound — an injury
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. cell — in biology
  10. can — a tin
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. hand — in cards
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spell — magic
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. perch — the fish
  19. can — a tin
  20. spell — letters
  21. can — to be able to
  22. wound — an injury
  23. hand — help
  24. cell — a phone

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