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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. can — a tin
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. cue — a hint
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. cue — a signal
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — to push
  10. can — a tin
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. can — to be able to
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. cue — for pool
  15. face — to confront
  16. face — part of the head
  17. bat — the animal
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. wax — to grow
  20. perch — the fish
  21. face — to point toward
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

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