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 120 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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. press — newspapers
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mark — a trace
  8. press — to push
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. mark — a grade
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. current — of water
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. current — happening now
  15. ball — a great time
  16. cell — in biology
  17. tube — a container
  18. cell — a phone
  19. press — a publisher
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. prune — to trim
  23. current — electric
  24. tube — the underground

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