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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  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. pit — in a race
  2. press — a publisher
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. pitch — completely
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. press — newspapers
  9. court — of law
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — in sport
  14. press — to push
  15. prune — to trim
  16. vault — a safe
  17. pit — a hole
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. prune — to trim
  20. court — of a king
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. stock — goods
  23. court — for sport
  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