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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. face — part of the head
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. perch — the fish
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. cell — a phone
  8. chair — a leader
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ground — crushed
  11. press — newspapers
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. face — to point toward
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. ground — a position
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — a stone
  22. press — a publisher
  23. face — to confront
  24. cell — in biology

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