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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. season — of the year
  3. field — for sport
  4. capital — money
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — to push
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. tube — the underground
  10. press — a publisher
  11. ground — crushed
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. season — in sport
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. ground — the earth
  17. field — a subject
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. tube — a container
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to bend
  22. field — farmland
  23. capital — a city
  24. ground — a position

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