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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. spell — magic
  3. ball — a dance
  4. spell — letters
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. roll — a list
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. press — a publisher
  10. prune — to trim
  11. ball — a great time
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. roll — a cake
  14. press — newspapers
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. spell — a short time
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. toast — bread
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. kick — in football

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