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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. file — a line of people
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. file — a tool
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. press — newspapers
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. cold — an illness
  13. perch — the fish
  14. cold — not warm
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. press — to push
  17. file — a document
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. press — a publisher
  21. cell — a phone
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — to eat

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