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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. pass — a permit
  3. charge — a price
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. charge — electricity
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — after costs
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. press — newspapers
  12. press — to push
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. charge — in control
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. ground — a position
  21. net — for catching
  22. press — a publisher
  23. ground — the earth
  24. perch — the fish

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