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: kid · current · perch · lean · stock · rule · pound · ground

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. rule — government
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. ground — the earth
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. lean — to bend
  7. current — of water
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — goods
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. current — electric
  14. rule — a law
  15. ground — crushed
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. kid — child
  18. kid — to tease
  19. lean — thin
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. pound — a weight
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. current — happening now
  24. ground — a position

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