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: root · spring · perch · club · ground · arm · press · dip

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. club — for dancing
  4. ground — the earth
  5. root — of a word
  6. dip — to sink
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. press — a publisher
  10. spring — a coil
  11. club — a group
  12. ground — a position
  13. press — newspapers
  14. perch — the fish
  15. root — the cause
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. spring — of water
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. root — of a plant
  20. club — for golf
  21. spring — the season
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. ground — crushed
  24. perch — for a bird

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