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: bore · land · march · cap · lie · press · shower · perch

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. cap — a lid
  5. press — newspapers
  6. land — ground
  7. bore — to drill
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — a country
  11. march — music
  12. bore — to tire
  13. lie — to recline
  14. shower — rain
  15. press — a publisher
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. march — the month
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. march — the month
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. shower — to wash
  24. cap — a hat

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