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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. press — to push
  3. season — of the year
  4. bear — the animal
  5. row — to paddle
  6. race — humankind
  7. press — a publisher
  8. season — in sport
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. press — newspapers
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. band — a music group
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. band — a ring
  19. race — a contest
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. race — the arms race
  24. plane — in geometry

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