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: game · ground · mug · chair · press · trunk · perch · saw

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. game — a match
  3. mug — a face
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. ground — the earth
  6. chair — a leader
  7. game — wild animals
  8. press — a publisher
  9. mug — a cup
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. saw — the tool
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. ground — crushed
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. mug — to rob
  19. press — newspapers
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. saw — the tool
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. press — to push
  24. ground — a position

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