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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. wake — a trail
  3. file — a document
  4. press — newspapers
  5. file — a tool
  6. press — a publisher
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. spring — a coil
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. file — a line of people
  15. chair — a leader
  16. spring — the season
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. press — to push
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. scale — in music
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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