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 · foot · clip · dip · current · march · fork · last

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. march — music
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. clip — a video
  5. current — of water
  6. march — the month
  7. current — electric
  8. clip — for paper
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. last — final
  12. clip — to cut
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. last — finally
  16. perch — the fish
  17. march — the month
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. dip — to sink
  21. current — happening now
  22. foot — a measure
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. dip — to dunk

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