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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. current — happening now
  3. band — a music group
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. kick — in football
  6. current — of water
  7. current — electric
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bat — the animal
  12. file — a tool
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. band — a ring
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. file — a line of people
  22. perch — the fish
  23. file — a document
  24. hide — to keep secret

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