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 · land · last · bank · snap · pass · stick · leaves

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. land — ground
  4. bank — for money
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. last — to go on
  11. snap — to click
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bank — for money
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. last — final
  18. pass — a permit
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. land — a country
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bank — of a river
  24. land — to come down

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