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 120 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: ball · craft · perch · drill · temple · wind · current · last

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. drill — a practice
  3. craft — boats
  4. ball — a dance
  5. craft — a skill
  6. current — of water
  7. last — finally
  8. ball — a great time
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. last — final
  13. drill — army training
  14. wind — moving air
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. current — happening now
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. drill — the tool
  23. last — to go on
  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