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

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. dip — to sink
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. current — happening now
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. mine — for digging
  14. current — electric
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. kick — in football
  18. perch — the fish
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. tube — the underground
  22. current — of water
  23. tube — a container
  24. kick — with a leg

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