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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. stem — to come from
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. rash — a series
  7. mug — a cup
  8. press — a publisher
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. pound — a weight
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. sharp — clever
  14. rash — hasty
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. mug — to rob
  17. pit — a hole
  18. press — newspapers
  19. mug — a face
  20. pit — in a race
  21. press — to push
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. rash — on the skin

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