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: perch · season · pop · ground · row · mouse · craft · press

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. season — in sport
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. press — to push
  7. ground — the earth
  8. perch — the fish
  9. ground — crushed
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. craft — boats
  12. pop — music
  13. row — to paddle
  14. ground — a position
  15. pop — soda
  16. press — newspapers
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. season — of the year
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. craft — a skill
  21. pop — to visit
  22. row — a line
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. perch — for a bird

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