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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — completely
  4. staff — a stick
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. press — to push
  10. content — the amount
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. content — happy
  13. chip — for betting
  14. staff — employees
  15. press — newspapers
  16. chip — to eat
  17. cold — an illness
  18. cold — not warm
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. staff — employees
  22. press — a publisher
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. bark — to shout

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