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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. suit — in cards
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. last — final
  5. suit — to fit
  6. press — to push
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. last — finally
  9. pop — music
  10. track — a path
  11. pop — to visit
  12. track — a song
  13. rule — government
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rule — a law
  16. track — to keep track
  17. suit — clothes
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. pop — soda
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. last — to go on
  22. press — newspapers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. chair — a leader

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