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 120 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: coach · press · rash · cold · stem · bear · scale · perch

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. scale — in music
  3. rash — hasty
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bear — the animal
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. perch — the fish
  10. cold — an illness
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. scale — size or range
  15. press — a publisher
  16. rash — a series
  17. cold — not warm
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bear — the animal
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stem — to come from
  24. press — to push

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