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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. present — a gift
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. season — in sport
  6. file — a line of people
  7. press — to push
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. key — the most important part
  14. file — a document
  15. present — there
  16. file — a tool
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. press — newspapers
  19. season — of the year
  20. key — for a lock
  21. kid — child
  22. present — the time now
  23. key — in music
  24. press — a publisher

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