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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — happening now
  3. perch — the fish
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — to handle
  6. land — ground
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. spell — letters
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. land — to come down
  11. current — electric
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. spell — a short time
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. face — to point toward
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. land — a country
  20. face — part of the head
  21. rock — a stone
  22. face — to confront
  23. spell — magic
  24. rock — music

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