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: spring · leaves · chair · perch · date · kick · pop · drill

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. spring — a coil
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. drill — a practice
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. kick — in football
  8. date — the fruit
  9. spring — of water
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pop — soda
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. spring — the season
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. drill — army training
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. pop — to visit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. chair — a leader
  22. perch — the fish
  23. pop — music
  24. perch — for a bird

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