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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bat — the animal
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. squash — the sport
  5. wax — to grow
  6. drill — the tool
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. current — electric
  10. squash — to crush
  11. drill — a practice
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to confront
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. current — of water
  22. drill — army training
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. perch — the fish

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