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: cap · rule · date · perch · bound · coach · row · lean

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rule — government
  3. cap — a lid
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bound — obliged
  6. lean — thin
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a hat
  10. row — a line
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. lean — to bend
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bound — tied together
  17. date — the fruit
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bound — certain
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. perch — the fish
  23. rule — a law
  24. rule — to rule out

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