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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. degree — from a university
  3. mate — a friend
  4. current — electric
  5. lean — to bend
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. lean — thin
  8. perch — the fish
  9. present — the time now
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. mate — to breed
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. current — happening now
  14. present — a gift
  15. cap — of ice
  16. current — of water
  17. degree — temperature
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cap — a lid
  21. present — there
  22. degree — an amount
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. mate — a partner

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