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 120 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. snap — to click
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. press — to push
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. perch — the fish
  8. wake — a trail
  9. pop — music
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. press — newspapers
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. pop — to visit
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. press — a publisher
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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