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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. press — newspapers
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. field — for sport
  6. bear — the animal
  7. press — a publisher
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. perch — the fish
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. scale — in music
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. field — farmland
  14. deal — to handle
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. field — a subject
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bear — the animal
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. fall — to drop
  23. press — to push
  24. deal — an agreement

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