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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. press — newspapers
  5. mate — to breed
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. can — a tin
  8. press — to push
  9. spring — of water
  10. can — to be able to
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. can — a tin
  13. mate — a partner
  14. spring — the season
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. spring — a coil
  17. mate — a friend
  18. press — a publisher
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a great time
  21. march — music
  22. chair — a leader
  23. march — the month
  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