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: perch · last · bound · prune · bulb · bat · current · mouse

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — of water
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bound — tied together
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bound — certain
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bat — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. last — final
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. last — finally
  18. prune — to trim
  19. current — happening now
  20. last — to go on
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bat — for baseball

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