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: charge · cold · perch · coach · club · lean · shower · dip

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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. cold — the Cold War
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. club — for golf
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. cold — not warm
  8. charge — electricity
  9. lean — thin
  10. shower — to wash
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. club — a group
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. club — for dancing
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. dip — to sink
  18. charge — in control
  19. shower — rain
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. cold — an illness
  22. charge — a price
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. lean — to bend

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