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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. press — a publisher
  4. hand — in cards
  5. press — newspapers
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cell — a phone
  9. date — the fruit
  10. field — for sport
  11. hand — help
  12. perch — the fish
  13. press — to push
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. field — farmland
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. cell — in biology
  24. safe — a strongbox

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