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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. spring — a coil
  3. press — a publisher
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. spring — of water
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. perch — the fish
  8. rush — hurry
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. scale — size or range
  11. press — newspapers
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. wake — a trail
  14. press — to push
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. scale — in music
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. wind — moving air
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wind — moving air
  24. spring — the season

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