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: perch · capital · roll · foot · ruler · spring · leaves · fine

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. foot — a measure
  5. perch — the fish
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. spring — of water
  8. capital — a city
  9. capital — money
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. roll — a cake
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — a coil
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — all right
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. roll — a list
  23. fine — high quality
  24. leaves — to go away

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