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 · press · spring · pitcher · pitch · bowl · tube · nail

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. tube — a container
  4. spring — of water
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. perch — the fish
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. spring — the season
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — the underground
  17. spring — a coil
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. press — newspapers
  22. press — to push
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitch — completely

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