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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. last — finally
  3. hand — help
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — magic
  6. press — to push
  7. spell — letters
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. suit — to fit
  10. pop — to visit
  11. last — to go on
  12. press — newspapers
  13. shower — rain
  14. press — a publisher
  15. suit — clothes
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. hand — in cards
  19. pop — soda
  20. last — final
  21. shower — to wash
  22. perch — the fish
  23. pop — music
  24. suit — in cards

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