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 124 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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. perch — the fish
  6. wind — moving air
  7. date — the fruit
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wind — moving air
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. press — a publisher
  14. dip — to sink
  15. press — newspapers
  16. lean — to bend
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. press — to push
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. dip — a sauce

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