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: stick · kick · rush · perch · bass · coach · hand · current

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. bass — the fish
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bass — low music
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. hand — help
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. hand — in cards
  13. current — of water
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. current — happening now
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. current — electric
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. kick — in football

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