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 · bat · calf · cap · stick · fall · mouse · last

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. fall — to drop
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. last — finally
  8. cap — a lid
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. cap — of ice
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cap — a hat
  17. perch — the fish
  18. last — final
  19. bat — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. fall — the season

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