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 · pitch · current · straw · fall · root · drill · foot

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. drill — army training
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. foot — a measure
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. current — happening now
  9. root — of a word
  10. current — of water
  11. drill — a practice
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. pitch — completely
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. current — electric
  18. root — the cause
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. drill — the tool
  21. fall — the season
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. root — of a plant

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