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 116 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. current — of water
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — to breed
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. press — a publisher
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. last — final
  10. spell — letters
  11. current — happening now
  12. spell — a short time
  13. press — to push
  14. pit — in a race
  15. last — finally
  16. spell — magic
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. pitch — completely
  21. press — newspapers
  22. mate — a friend
  23. last — to go on
  24. current — electric

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