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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. court — of a king
  3. can — a tin
  4. pitch — completely
  5. court — for sport
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. court — of law
  8. current — of water
  9. season — in sport
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. current — happening now
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. current — electric
  16. can — to be able to
  17. bat — the animal
  18. mark — a grade
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. season — of the year
  23. can — a tin
  24. perch — the fish

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