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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — hasty
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. season — of the year
  13. press — to push
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. game — a match
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — a publisher
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. season — in sport
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. game — wild animals

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