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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. spell — letters
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. press — to push
  10. track — a path
  11. spell — magic
  12. track — to keep track
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. spell — a short time
  16. game — a match
  17. mine — for digging
  18. track — a song
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — a container
  22. press — newspapers
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. game — wild animals

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