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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a trace
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. mark — a grade
  8. kick — in football
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. fork — in a road
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. current — happening now
  13. perch — the fish
  14. current — electric
  15. current — of water
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. date — the fruit
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. chair — a leader
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pitcher — a jug

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