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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. pass — a permit
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. wind — moving air
  5. scale — size or range
  6. cell — in biology
  7. track — a path
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. press — to push
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. press — a publisher
  16. cell — a phone
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a song
  22. press — newspapers
  23. perch — the fish
  24. branch — a division

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