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: cue · perch · scale · tube · press · coach · mate · root

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — a partner
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. press — to push
  5. tube — the underground
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — a hint
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. tube — a container
  11. perch — the fish
  12. root — of a word
  13. press — a publisher
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. scale — in music
  16. root — the cause
  17. cue — for pool
  18. root — of a plant
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. press — newspapers
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. scale — size or range
  23. mate — to breed
  24. coach — a trainer

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