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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. press — newspapers
  4. ground — a position
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. press — a publisher
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. ground — crushed
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rest — a break
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. band — a ring
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. bore — to tire
  18. ground — the earth
  19. press — to push
  20. bore — to drill
  21. pound — a weight
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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