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 · spell · pit · band · mine · mouse · fall · craft

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. fall — the season
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pit — in a race
  9. perch — the fish
  10. band — a music group
  11. spell — magic
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. band — a ring
  16. pit — a hole
  17. spell — letters
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mine — for digging
  20. craft — a skill
  21. fall — to drop
  22. craft — boats
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. spell — a short time

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