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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. bass — the fish
  3. perch — the fish
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. press — to push
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. kid — to tease
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. cap — a hat
  10. file — a line of people
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bass — low music
  13. kid — child
  14. file — a tool
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. cap — a lid
  20. file — a document
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. cap — of ice
  23. lie — to recline
  24. racket — for tennis

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