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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. key — the most important part
  3. rush — hurry
  4. press — a publisher
  5. pass — a permit
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. present — the time now
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. key — in music
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. present — there
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cell — a phone
  14. key — for a lock
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. present — a gift
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — to handle
  19. scale — size or range
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — to push
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — in music

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