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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — music
  4. hand — help
  5. tube — a container
  6. perch — the fish
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. foot — a measure
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. press — a publisher
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. tube — the underground
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. swing — in golf
  18. press — newspapers
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. hand — in cards
  23. press — to push
  24. hand — part of the body

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