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 120 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. dip — to sink
  3. season — of the year
  4. net — after costs
  5. press — a publisher
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. press — newspapers
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. press — to push
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. degree — temperature
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. season — in sport
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. degree — from a university
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. net — in sport
  20. deal — to handle
  21. degree — an amount
  22. lie — to recline
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pitch — a sports field

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