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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. season — in sport
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. press — to push
  10. press — a publisher
  11. cap — a hat
  12. press — newspapers
  13. cue — a hint
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. field — farmland
  16. cap — a lid
  17. season — of the year
  18. wound — an injury
  19. cue — for pool
  20. field — for sport
  21. cue — a signal
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. cap — of ice
  24. ruler — for measuring

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