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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. cold — an illness
  4. present — a gift
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. mug — a face
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — to fit
  9. press — a publisher
  10. cold — not warm
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. suit — clothes
  13. band — a music group
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — there
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. press — to push
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. band — a ring
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — the fruit
  22. mug — a cup
  23. pitch — completely
  24. press — newspapers

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