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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — newspapers
  4. last — finally
  5. pit — in a race
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to tire
  9. pit — a hole
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. last — to go on
  13. bore — to drill
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. season — in sport
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. press — to push
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — a series
  23. rash — hasty
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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