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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. track — to keep track
  3. pop — to visit
  4. rock — music
  5. press — a publisher
  6. chest — a box
  7. track — a path
  8. ball — a dance
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. pop — soda
  11. perch — the fish
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. pop — music
  15. press — newspapers
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. press — to push
  18. chest — of your body
  19. track — a song
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. branch — a division
  22. rock — a stone
  23. chest — of your body
  24. perch — for a bird

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