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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. net — for catching
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. net — in sport
  7. spring — of water
  8. mate — a friend
  9. press — a publisher
  10. spring — the season
  11. net — after costs
  12. press — to push
  13. spring — a coil
  14. date — the fruit
  15. mate — a partner
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. press — newspapers
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. mate — to breed
  24. temple — a place of worship

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