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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: snap · kid · file · dip · perch · bass · press · craft

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — to push
  4. kid — child
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bass — the fish
  7. dip — to sink
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — boats
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. file — a tool
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to click
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. press — a publisher
  18. craft — a skill
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bass — low music
  21. file — a line of people
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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