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: file · perch · season · hand · firm · foot · roll · fall

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. season — of the year
  4. fall — to drop
  5. hand — help
  6. foot — a measure
  7. roll — a cake
  8. fall — to drop
  9. firm — a company
  10. file — a line of people
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — in sport
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. file — a document
  17. firm — steady
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. firm — decided
  21. fall — the season
  22. roll — a list
  23. file — a tool
  24. perch — the fish

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