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: lie · march · foot · squash · perch · leaves · court · scale

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. squash — the sport
  3. court — for sport
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. lie — to recline
  9. court — of a king
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. court — of law
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. march — music
  15. perch — the fish
  16. scale — in music
  17. squash — to crush
  18. scale — size or range
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. march — the month
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. foot — a measure
  24. perch — for a bird

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