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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. net — in sport
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. press — to push
  7. rock — music
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. row — a line
  14. rock — a stone
  15. press — a publisher
  16. net — after costs
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. net — for catching
  19. mark — a trace
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. rest — what's left
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. press — newspapers

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