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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. press — newspapers
  3. chair — a leader
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. perch — the fish
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. current — happening now
  10. net — in sport
  11. current — of water
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. net — after costs
  17. press — a publisher
  18. current — electric
  19. net — for catching
  20. clip — to cut
  21. press — to push
  22. clip — a video
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. chair — to sit on

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