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: patient · press · chip · wax · perch · face · racket · pop

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. perch — the fish
  3. wax — to grow
  4. chip — to eat
  5. press — to push
  6. press — a publisher
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. face — to confront
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. press — newspapers
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pop — soda
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — part of the head
  22. pop — to visit
  23. chip — for betting
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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