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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. track — a song
  4. current — electric
  5. track — to keep track
  6. land — a country
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. land — ground
  9. track — a path
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. tear — from crying
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. tear — to rip
  16. current — of water
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. toast — bread
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. tear — from crying
  24. current — happening now

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