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 116 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: shower · perch · stem · rock · snap · current · branch · fine

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. shower — rain
  4. perch — the fish
  5. snap — to click
  6. current — happening now
  7. branch — a division
  8. rock — a stone
  9. stem — to come from
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. current — of water
  12. rock — music
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. fine — high quality
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. current — electric
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. fine — all right
  22. shower — to wash
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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