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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  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. dip — to sink
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. key — in music
  4. current — electric
  5. clip — to cut
  6. clip — for paper
  7. key — the most important part
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. perch — the fish
  10. clip — a video
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. game — wild animals
  15. key — for a lock
  16. game — a match
  17. bat — the animal
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. current — happening now
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. kick — in football
  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