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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — completely
  5. press — to push
  6. pass — a permit
  7. press — newspapers
  8. spring — the season
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. squash — the sport
  11. press — a publisher
  12. pop — soda
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. chair — a leader
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. spring — a coil
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. spring — of water

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