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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. current — happening now
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. object — to protest
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. object — an aim
  7. last — finally
  8. last — to go on
  9. file — a line of people
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. game — wild animals
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — to grow
  14. current — electric
  15. file — a tool
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. last — final
  19. object — a thing
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. file — a document
  22. game — a match
  23. perch — the fish
  24. current — of water

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