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: file · mouse · chip · patient · wound · perch · foot · press

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. foot — a measure
  3. wound — an injury
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. press — a publisher
  8. file — a line of people
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. chip — for betting
  12. press — to push
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. file — a document
  15. press — newspapers
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. file — a tool
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. chip — to eat
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. wound — an injury
  24. patient — a sick person

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