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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  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. perch — the fish
  2. saw — the tool
  3. current — electric
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. root — the cause
  6. cold — not warm
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. cold — an illness
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. fall — to drop
  11. current — of water
  12. root — of a word
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. saw — the tool
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. root — of a plant
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. current — happening now
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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