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: wound · current · key · stand · bulb · press · wake · perch

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. current — of water
  3. perch — the fish
  4. current — electric
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. key — in music
  8. press — a publisher
  9. wound — an injury
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. press — newspapers
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — to bear
  14. current — happening now
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bulb — for light
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. press — to push
  21. wake — a trail
  22. key — the most important part
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. bulb — of a plant

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