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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mate — a partner
  6. capital — a city
  7. press — a publisher
  8. perch — the fish
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. mate — to breed
  11. net — in sport
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. press — to push
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. net — for catching
  19. scale — size or range
  20. net — after costs
  21. lie — to recline
  22. capital — money
  23. scale — in music
  24. press — newspapers

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