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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. press — a publisher
  3. craft — boats
  4. spring — the season
  5. season — in sport
  6. chair — a leader
  7. cap — a hat
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. cue — a signal
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. pass — a permit
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cap — of ice
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. cue — a hint
  19. craft — a skill
  20. press — to push
  21. season — of the year
  22. cap — a lid
  23. spring — a coil
  24. press — newspapers

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