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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. pit — in a race
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. court — for sport
  5. ball — a dance
  6. press — newspapers
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. spring — the season
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. pit — a hole
  12. press — a publisher
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — to come from
  15. ball — a great time
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. press — to push
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — of law
  20. spring — a coil
  21. spring — of water
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. ball — a round shape

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