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 120 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. press — a publisher
  3. court — of law
  4. swing — to play on
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. chip — to eat
  7. wound — an injury
  8. stem — to come from
  9. swing — music
  10. track — a path
  11. wound — an injury
  12. track — to keep track
  13. press — to push
  14. firm — steady
  15. chip — for betting
  16. firm — decided
  17. court — for sport
  18. swing — in golf
  19. firm — a company
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. press — newspapers
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. court — of a king

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