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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. hand — in cards
  4. rash — a series
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — in a race
  8. press — to push
  9. content — happy
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. content — the amount
  12. hand — help
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pit — a hole
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. rash — hasty
  17. shower — to wash
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. press — newspapers
  21. shower — rain
  22. press — a publisher
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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