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: lie · perch · racket · wave · chair · key · press · spring

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. press — a publisher
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. key — for a lock
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. spring — a coil
  10. perch — the fish
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. key — the most important part
  13. spring — the season
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. spring — of water
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. press — newspapers
  21. key — in music
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. chair — a leader
  24. press — to push

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