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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. stand — to bear
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. press — newspapers
  7. game — a match
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to click
  10. press — to push
  11. date — the fruit
  12. game — wild animals
  13. press — a publisher
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bear — the animal

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