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: pit · wound · trunk · current · perch · last · tear · safe

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — electric
  3. wound — an injury
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. last — finally
  8. current — happening now
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. perch — the fish
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. last — final
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. pit — a hole
  18. last — to go on
  19. tear — to rip
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — from crying
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pit — in a race

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