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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. row — a line
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. press — a publisher
  6. pop — music
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. pop — to visit
  9. tear — from crying
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. ball — a great time
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. tear — from crying
  15. row — to paddle
  16. pop — soda
  17. press — newspapers
  18. mine — for digging
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. press — to push
  21. ball — a dance
  22. chair — a leader
  23. tear — to rip
  24. row — a quarrel

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