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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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. current — of water
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. spring — the season
  6. kid — child
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. spring — of water
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. mate — to breed
  11. press — a publisher
  12. mate — a partner
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — to push
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. current — happening now
  18. spring — a coil
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. kid — to tease
  21. mate — a friend
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a great time
  24. perch — the fish

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