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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. press — a publisher
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. press — newspapers
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. press — to push
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bass — the fish
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bass — low music
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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