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: current · calf · saw · march · fork · track · perch · prune

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. current — of water
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. track — a path
  10. saw — the tool
  11. current — electric
  12. march — the month
  13. march — the month
  14. saw — the tool
  15. current — happening now
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. prune — to trim
  18. fork — in a road
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. march — music
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. track — to keep track
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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