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 116 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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. club — for golf
  7. club — a group
  8. pass — a permit
  9. capital — a city
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — a series
  14. rock — a stone
  15. press — newspapers
  16. capital — money
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rock — music
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. press — a publisher
  22. club — for dancing
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. calf — a young 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