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: present · perch · capital · lie · cell · bank · wave · march

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. cell — a phone
  4. bank — for money
  5. capital — a city
  6. cell — in biology
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. march — the month
  9. present — a gift
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bank — of a river
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. present — there
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. present — the time now
  19. march — the month
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. march — music
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bank — for money

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