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: spell · stock · file · nail · arm · leaves · perch · press

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. file — a tool
  4. stock — goods
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. press — to push
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. file — a document
  9. stock — shares
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. press — a publisher
  14. file — a line of people
  15. spell — a short time
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. perch — the fish
  18. spell — letters
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. spell — magic
  21. press — newspapers
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. nail — for a hammer

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