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: pitcher · perch · bat · press · trunk · chair · last · lie

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  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. pitcher — a jug
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. last — finally
  4. lie — to recline
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. chair — a leader
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. press — to push
  14. bat — the animal
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. press — a publisher
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. press — newspapers
  20. last — to go on
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. last — final
  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