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: pop · press · band · racket · cabinet · cue · perch · wind

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. pop — to visit
  3. cue — a signal
  4. perch — the fish
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. cue — a hint
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wind — moving air
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cue — for pool
  11. band — a music group
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wind — moving air
  14. pop — music
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. band — a ring
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. press — a publisher
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. press — newspapers
  24. pop — soda

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