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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. fork — in a road
  3. perch — the fish
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. face — to point toward
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. field — a subject
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bank — for money
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bank — for money
  15. current — of water
  16. face — to confront
  17. current — electric
  18. face — part of the head
  19. field — for sport
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bank — of a river
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. current — happening now

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