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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. wind — moving air
  4. perch — the fish
  5. staff — a stick
  6. press — newspapers
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bore — to tire
  11. kid — to tease
  12. swing — to play on
  13. swing — music
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. staff — employees
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. press — a publisher
  19. staff — employees
  20. press — to push
  21. kid — child
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bore — to drill

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