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: scale · perch · march · temple · sharp · leaves · present · dip

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. perch — the fish
  6. scale — size or range
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — to sink
  9. present — the time now
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. present — there
  13. march — music
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. scale — in music
  17. sharp — clever
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. present — a gift
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. march — the month
  23. march — the month
  24. leaves — lets stay

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