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 116 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  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. current — happening now
  2. bound — obliged
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bound — certain
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. current — electric
  7. squash — to crush
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bound — tied together
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. current — of water
  18. sharp — clever
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. squash — the sport
  23. fork — to eat with
  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