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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. object — a thing
  3. saw — the tool
  4. press — a publisher
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — in sport
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. foot — a measure
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — an aim
  20. press — newspapers
  21. chair — a leader
  22. season — of the year
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. foot — part of the body

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