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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — to push
  4. bat — the animal
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — the cause
  7. land — to come down
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. mate — a partner
  11. press — newspapers
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. mate — a friend
  14. land — a country
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. cell — in biology
  19. mate — to breed
  20. land — ground
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. root — of a plant
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. cell — a phone

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