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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. track — a path
  3. track — a song
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. press — a publisher
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. fork — in a road
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. season — in sport
  10. saw — the tool
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — to point toward
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. season — of the year
  19. saw — the tool
  20. face — part of the head
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. track — to keep track

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