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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. club — for dancing
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. current — electric
  7. club — a group
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. current — happening now
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. perch — the fish
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. present — a gift
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. snap — to click
  18. present — the time now
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. current — of water
  21. present — there
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — a garden tool

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