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 116 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: wake · ball · capital · shower · key · chip · perch · leaves

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. chip — for betting
  4. key — for a lock
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. wake — a trail
  8. chip — to eat
  9. ball — a great time
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. capital — money
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. ball — a dance
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. capital — a city
  20. shower — rain
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — in music
  23. shower — to wash
  24. leaves — to go away

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