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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. current — happening now
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. current — of water
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. degree — from a university
  11. current — electric
  12. lean — thin
  13. wake — a trail
  14. lean — to bend
  15. degree — an amount
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. degree — temperature
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. fan — a supporter

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