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: tear · charge · hand · cabinet · perch · rest · club · march

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rest — what's left
  5. charge — electricity
  6. hand — help
  7. tear — from crying
  8. march — music
  9. perch — the fish
  10. charge — in control
  11. club — for golf
  12. march — the month
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. tear — to rip
  15. charge — a price
  16. club — a group
  17. hand — in cards
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. tear — from crying
  21. rest — a break
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. club — for dancing
  24. rest — what's left

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