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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mate — to breed
  3. rock — a stone
  4. mate — a partner
  5. press — a publisher
  6. mate — a friend
  7. stock — goods
  8. press — to push
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. scale — in music
  12. rock — music
  13. press — newspapers
  14. scale — size or range
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. cap — of ice
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bore — to drill
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bore — to tire
  24. cap — a lid

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