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: perch · roll · nail · land · dip · march · lash · current

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. land — to come down
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. march — the month
  8. current — happening now
  9. roll — a cake
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. land — ground
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. roll — a list
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. dip — to sink
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. current — of water
  21. land — a country
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. march — music
  24. march — the month

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