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

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. spell — a short time
  3. branch — a division
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. press — to push
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. current — of water
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — the fish
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. current — electric
  15. chair — a leader
  16. press — newspapers
  17. spell — letters
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — a weight
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. current — happening now
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. press — a publisher

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