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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. press — a publisher
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wax — to grow
  7. perch — the fish
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. press — to push
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. key — for a lock
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. key — in music
  14. press — newspapers
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. wind — moving air
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. key — the most important part
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitch — completely
  24. chip — to eat

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