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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  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. bay — to keep at bay
  2. capital — money
  3. game — a match
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. spring — a coil
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. game — wild animals
  8. root — the cause
  9. press — to push
  10. row — a line
  11. root — of a plant
  12. spring — the season
  13. season — in sport
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — a city
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. spring — of water
  18. root — of a word
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. press — a publisher
  23. season — of the year
  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