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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. perch — the fish
  4. mug — a face
  5. key — for a lock
  6. object — a thing
  7. bound — obliged
  8. object — an aim
  9. press — newspapers
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. press — to push
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bound — tied together
  14. press — a publisher
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. clip — a video
  17. clip — for paper
  18. key — the most important part
  19. mug — to rob
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. clip — to cut
  23. bound — certain
  24. object — to protest

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