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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. tear — from crying
  3. mark — a trace
  4. tear — to rip
  5. swing — music
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. press — a publisher
  8. snap — to click
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. press — newspapers
  11. swing — in golf
  12. press — to push
  13. mark — a grade
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. swing — to play on
  18. scale — in music
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. tear — from crying
  23. scale — size or range
  24. scale — for weighing

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