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 116 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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  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. rash — a series
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. race — humankind
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — a subject
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. press — to push
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. press — a publisher
  14. dip — to sink
  15. race — a contest
  16. field — farmland
  17. cap — a hat
  18. rash — hasty
  19. cap — a lid
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. race — the arms race
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. cap — of ice
  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