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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. last — finally
  4. last — to go on
  5. pop — music
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. press — newspapers
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pop — soda
  11. press — a publisher
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — a country
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a great time
  16. press — to push
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. land — ground
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. sharp — clever
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. last — final

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