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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a dance
  3. spell — magic
  4. last — to go on
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. spell — a short time
  9. pass — a permit
  10. press — to push
  11. pop — to visit
  12. spell — letters
  13. press — a publisher
  14. toast — bread
  15. last — finally
  16. ball — a great time
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. last — final
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. press — newspapers
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — music
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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