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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. press — a publisher
  3. saw — the tool
  4. prune — to trim
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. fine — all right
  7. tube — a container
  8. press — newspapers
  9. prune — to trim
  10. tube — the underground
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — after costs
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fine — high quality
  17. saw — the tool
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fall — to drop
  22. net — for catching
  23. press — to push
  24. prune — the fruit

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