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: march · current · squash · rush · spring · perch · net · key

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. net — after costs
  3. current — electric
  4. march — the month
  5. key — for a lock
  6. spring — of water
  7. squash — to crush
  8. key — the most important part
  9. squash — the sport
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. key — in music
  12. net — for catching
  13. spring — the season
  14. net — in sport
  15. march — the month
  16. march — music
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. current — happening now
  20. spring — a coil
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. current — of water
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — to hurry

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