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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. current — of water
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bore — to drill
  8. spring — of water
  9. current — electric
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. clip — to cut
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. spring — a coil
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. perch — the fish
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — clever
  20. clip — for paper
  21. current — happening now
  22. clip — a video
  23. spring — the season
  24. bore — to tire

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