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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rock · fork · arm · current · cold · perch · bulb · dip

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. fork — in a road
  5. rock — a stone
  6. current — electric
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. rock — music
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cold — not warm
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. cold — an illness
  13. current — of water
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. dip — to sink
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. current — happening now
  22. bulb — for light
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bulb — of a plant

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