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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. cue — a signal
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. current — electric
  6. field — a subject
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bat — the animal
  11. current — happening now
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. field — for sport
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. field — farmland
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. file — a tool
  18. cue — a hint
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. file — a document
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. cue — for pool
  23. file — a line of people
  24. current — of water

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