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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — to push
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. press — a publisher
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. field — farmland
  8. stem — to come from
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. perch — the fish
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. kick — in football
  13. squash — to crush
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. field — a subject
  16. field — for sport
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. squash — the sport
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. stem — a stem cell

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