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 120 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. squash — to crush
  4. press — to push
  5. squash — the sport
  6. chair — a leader
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. tear — from crying
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. tear — from crying
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. season — of the year
  18. press — newspapers
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. tear — to rip
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. press — a publisher
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. bowl — to roll

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