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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. charge — a price
  4. rash — hasty
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. mark — a trace
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. charge — in control
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bat — the animal
  15. mark — a grade
  16. press — to push
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. rash — a series
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. press — a publisher
  21. scale — in music
  22. charge — electricity
  23. press — newspapers
  24. jam — in traffic

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