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 116 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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. prune — to trim
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — hasty
  8. season — of the year
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — all right
  11. kid — child
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — the most important part
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. key — in music
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — to push
  19. kid — to tease
  20. prune — to trim
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. season — in sport
  23. press — a publisher
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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