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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. press — to push
  3. kick — in football
  4. rest — what's left
  5. march — the month
  6. row — a line
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. row — to paddle
  10. charge — in control
  11. rest — a break
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. press — a publisher
  15. pit — a hole
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. charge — a price
  18. press — newspapers
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pit — in a race
  21. march — music
  22. march — the month
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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