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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. spring — a coil
  3. pop — soda
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. press — newspapers
  7. mate — to breed
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. spring — of water
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mate — a partner
  12. land — a country
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — music
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wound — an injury
  17. spring — the season
  18. press — a publisher
  19. wound — an injury
  20. press — to push
  21. mate — a friend
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. land — ground
  24. nail — on a finger

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