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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. date — the fruit
  3. stem — to come from
  4. press — a publisher
  5. spring — of water
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. press — to push
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. spring — the season
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. spring — a coil
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bear — the animal
  23. press — newspapers
  24. pitcher — a jug

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