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: field · perch · land · spell · saw · safe · last · press

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  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. land — a country
  2. press — a publisher
  3. spell — magic
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. field — a subject
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. last — final
  8. land — ground
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. last — to go on
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. field — farmland
  13. saw — the tool
  14. spell — letters
  15. perch — the fish
  16. land — to come down
  17. press — newspapers
  18. last — finally
  19. field — for sport
  20. spell — a short time
  21. saw — the tool
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. press — to push
  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