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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. press — to push
  3. mate — a friend
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. pit — in a race
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. mate — to breed
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. press — newspapers
  12. dip — to sink
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — a hole
  15. kick — in football
  16. season — in sport
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. press — a publisher
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. stem — to come from
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chair — a professorship

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