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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. mark — a trace
  4. press — a publisher
  5. present — the time now
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. mark — a grade
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. press — to push
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. chair — a leader
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. rush — hurry
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. present — there
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. press — newspapers
  22. perch — the fish
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. leaves — to go away

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