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 120 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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. content — the amount
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. press — a publisher
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bat — the animal
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a skill
  10. staff — employees
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. press — to push
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. content — happy
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. staff — employees
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — to crush
  20. pitch — completely
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. staff — a stick
  24. squash — the sport

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