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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. pop — soda
  3. spring — of water
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. object — a thing
  6. press — to push
  7. press — newspapers
  8. pop — music
  9. march — the month
  10. spring — a coil
  11. march — the month
  12. roll — a list
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. march — music
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. spring — the season
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. object — an aim
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. object — to protest
  23. press — a publisher
  24. roll — on a 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