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 120 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: track · mate · perch · drill · wake · game · foot · leaves

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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. game — a match
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. mate — a friend
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a song
  8. track — a path
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. game — wild animals
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — to breed
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — a trail
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — the tool
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. drill — a practice
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — a measure
  24. game — a kind of play

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