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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. spell — magic
  3. press — to push
  4. spell — letters
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. net — after costs
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. face — to confront
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. spell — a short time
  13. season — of the year
  14. chip — for betting
  15. season — in sport
  16. press — newspapers
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bore — to tire
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — for catching
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. press — a publisher

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