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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. clip — for paper
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. clip — to cut
  5. press — to push
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pop — soda
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. press — a publisher
  11. pitch — completely
  12. press — newspapers
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. season — of the year
  15. perch — the fish
  16. pop — to visit
  17. season — in sport
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. pop — music
  20. bulb — for light
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. clip — a video
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. rush — hurry

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