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 120 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. sharp — clever
  8. current — electric
  9. perch — the fish
  10. current — of water
  11. bass — low music
  12. present — there
  13. march — music
  14. mug — a face
  15. bass — the fish
  16. march — the month
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. current — happening now
  19. march — the month
  20. present — the time now
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. mug — a cup
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. sharp — exactly

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