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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. perch — the fish
  5. press — a publisher
  6. can — a tin
  7. press — to push
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — for sport
  11. fall — to drop
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. press — newspapers
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. season — in sport
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. fall — to drop
  22. field — farmland
  23. season — of the year
  24. fall — the season

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