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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. press — to push
  9. craft — boats
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. bark — to shout
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — in sport
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — a skill
  19. mark — a grade
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. mark — a trace

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