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: wave · mouse · prune · court · current · pitcher · saw · perch

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. prune — to trim
  3. current — electric
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. current — happening now
  6. saw — the tool
  7. court — for sport
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. current — of water
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. court — of law
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. court — of a king
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. prune — to trim
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. perch — the fish
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. saw — the tool

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