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: squash · perch · fall · key · current · bark · wake · saw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. current — electric
  6. wake — a trail
  7. fall — to drop
  8. saw — the tool
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. current — happening now
  11. fall — the season
  12. squash — to crush
  13. perch — the fish
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. key — for a lock
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. fall — to drop
  18. key — in music
  19. squash — the sport
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. current — of water
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. key — the most important part

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