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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — a stick
  4. degree — an amount
  5. degree — temperature
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. press — newspapers
  8. deal — to handle
  9. tube — a container
  10. date — the fruit
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. tube — the underground
  13. stand — to bear
  14. press — to push
  15. press — a publisher
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. degree — from a university
  23. staff — employees
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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