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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. perch — the fish
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. press — to push
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. wake — a trail
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. press — newspapers
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. toast — bread
  18. mate — a friend
  19. chest — a box
  20. chest — of your body
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. press — a publisher
  23. mate — a partner
  24. bark — to shout

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