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: clip · present · current · rule · perch · track · kick · craft

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. present — there
  3. perch — the fish
  4. clip — for paper
  5. craft — boats
  6. current — of water
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. track — a path
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. clip — a video
  11. track — to keep track
  12. current — happening now
  13. rule — government
  14. track — a song
  15. present — a gift
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. clip — to cut
  18. rule — a law
  19. present — the time now
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kick — in football
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. current — electric

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