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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. press — to push
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. season — of the year
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. toast — bread
  7. game — wild animals
  8. season — in sport
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. press — newspapers
  14. roll — a cake
  15. press — a publisher
  16. fine — high quality
  17. game — a match
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. rest — a break
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. fine — all right
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. fine — a penalty

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