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

Word bank: mine · swing · root · perch · bound · press · track · object

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — to push
  4. root — of a word
  5. mine — for digging
  6. root — the cause
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — obliged
  9. object — a thing
  10. swing — to play on
  11. object — to protest
  12. press — a publisher
  13. object — an aim
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bound — certain
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. track — a path
  18. track — to keep track
  19. swing — in golf
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. swing — music
  22. root — of a plant
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. perch — the fish

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