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

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. press — to push
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. toast — bread
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. fork — in a road
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. press — a publisher
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bat — the animal
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. pitch — completely
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. roll — a cake
  24. press — newspapers

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