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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cell — a phone
  5. deal — to handle
  6. press — a publisher
  7. tube — a container
  8. spring — the season
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — a grade
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. spring — of water
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. stand — to bear
  18. spring — a coil
  19. press — newspapers
  20. tube — the underground
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. press — to push
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cell — in biology

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