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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. current — electric
  3. clip — for paper
  4. clip — a video
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. current — happening now
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. land — a country
  12. land — to come down
  13. wind — moving air
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — the fish
  16. land — ground
  17. bulb — for light
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. current — of water
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. clip — to cut
  22. wind — moving air
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. bulb — for light

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