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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. squash — to crush
  3. perch — the fish
  4. tube — the underground
  5. scale — size or range
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. tear — to rip
  8. stock — goods
  9. squash — the sport
  10. press — to push
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. key — for a lock
  14. press — newspapers
  15. key — the most important part
  16. press — a publisher
  17. stock — shares
  18. tear — from crying
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. tear — from crying
  21. scale — in music
  22. key — in music
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. tube — a container

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