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: perch · nail · clip · mate · spring · fork · pass · degree

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — of water
  5. pass — a permit
  6. fork — in a road
  7. clip — a video
  8. mate — a friend
  9. spring — a coil
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. mate — a partner
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. clip — to cut
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. mate — to breed
  16. degree — from a university
  17. clip — for paper
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. degree — an amount
  20. degree — temperature
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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