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: wound · rest · fall · racket · race · scale · tube · perch

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. fall — to drop
  3. scale — size or range
  4. perch — the fish
  5. fall — the season
  6. race — the arms race
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. race — a contest
  9. wound — an injury
  10. scale — in music
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. tube — a container
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. rest — what's left
  16. fall — to drop
  17. race — humankind
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. rest — a break
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. tube — the underground
  23. rest — what's left
  24. wound — an injury

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