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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. saw — the tool
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — to rob
  9. spell — a short time
  10. rock — a stone
  11. saw — the tool
  12. press — newspapers
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. spell — magic
  16. rock — music
  17. mine — for digging
  18. capital — money
  19. mug — a face
  20. spell — letters
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. press — a publisher
  24. mine — an explosive

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