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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. row — to paddle
  3. press — to push
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. wake — a trail
  6. pop — music
  7. firm — decided
  8. capital — money
  9. rash — hasty
  10. firm — a company
  11. pop — to visit
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ground — a position
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. ground — crushed
  16. row — a line
  17. press — newspapers
  18. pop — soda
  19. capital — a city
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rash — a series
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. firm — steady
  24. row — a quarrel

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