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: current · chair · perch · coach · track · bark · fork · row

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. track — a path
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. chair — a leader
  7. perch — the fish
  8. current — of water
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. track — to keep track
  13. current — electric
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. row — a line
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. fork — in a road
  19. track — a song
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bark — to shout
  23. current — happening now
  24. fork — to eat with

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