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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. saw — the tool
  5. perch — the fish
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. craft — boats
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. object — an aim
  13. scale — in music
  14. craft — a skill
  15. object — a thing
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. cold — an illness
  18. object — to protest
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. current — happening now
  21. cold — not warm
  22. saw — the tool
  23. current — electric
  24. scale — size or range

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