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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. field — for sport
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. cap — a lid
  6. field — a subject
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bass — the fish
  10. rest — a break
  11. press — to push
  12. press — a publisher
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bass — low music
  15. cap — a hat
  16. rest — what's left
  17. charge — in control
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. field — farmland
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. cap — of ice
  22. charge — a price
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. charge — electricity

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