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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  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. season — of the year
  2. mark — a trace
  3. rash — a series
  4. press — to push
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rash — hasty
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. degree — from a university
  9. deal — to handle
  10. degree — temperature
  11. degree — an amount
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. press — newspapers
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. mark — a grade
  21. season — in sport
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — on a finger
  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