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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. track — a song
  3. current — happening now
  4. clip — to cut
  5. current — of water
  6. season — in sport
  7. clip — for paper
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. present — the time now
  10. track — to keep track
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. present — there
  13. clip — a video
  14. lie — to recline
  15. current — electric
  16. track — a path
  17. perch — the fish
  18. present — a gift
  19. season — of the year
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. lie — an untruth

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