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: tube · degree · current · bat · date · fall · rush · perch

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. fall — the season
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. fall — to drop
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rush — hurry
  7. fall — to drop
  8. current — electric
  9. current — of water
  10. degree — from a university
  11. tube — the underground
  12. degree — temperature
  13. perch — the fish
  14. current — happening now
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. degree — an amount
  18. tube — a container
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bat — the animal
  22. date — the fruit
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. perch — for a bird

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