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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. prune — to trim
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. fall — the season
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. press — to push
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — to shout
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. kick — in football
  15. prune — to trim
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. fall — to drop
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. foot — a measure
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — the fish
  23. press — newspapers
  24. foot — part of the body

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