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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. rash — a series
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. press — to push
  6. season — in sport
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. ground — a position
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. ground — the earth
  11. press — a publisher
  12. season — of the year
  13. lie — to recline
  14. field — for sport
  15. rash — hasty
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. press — newspapers
  18. kick — in football
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. ground — crushed
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. field — farmland
  24. racket — for tennis

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