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 116 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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. cell — a phone
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. current — electric
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. current — happening now
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. dip — to sink
  10. spell — magic
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. ball — a great time
  15. current — of water
  16. ball — a dance
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. spell — a short time
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. cell — in biology
  21. spell — letters
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — on your feet

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