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: spell · mouse · lean · clip · suit · bowl · kid · perch

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — letters
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lean — thin
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. clip — for paper
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. kid — child
  16. suit — in cards
  17. clip — a video
  18. lean — to bend
  19. suit — clothes
  20. clip — to cut
  21. spell — magic
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. suit — to fit

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