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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. press — a publisher
  3. roll — a cake
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. mate — a partner
  6. staff — employees
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. staff — employees
  9. drill — the tool
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. press — to push
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. drill — army training
  14. mate — a friend
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. mate — to breed
  17. roll — a list
  18. bat — the animal
  19. press — newspapers
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — to grow
  22. drill — a practice
  23. staff — a stick
  24. date — the fruit

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