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: cell · press · stick · pitcher · wind · perch · sharp · rest

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. press — newspapers
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rest — what's left
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. sharp — clever
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. rest — a break
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. press — to push
  14. cell — a phone
  15. perch — the fish
  16. cell — in biology
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. press — a publisher
  20. wind — moving air
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. wind — moving air

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