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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. court — for sport
  4. board — to get on
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. court — of law
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — newspapers
  9. pass — a permit
  10. capital — a city
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — for digging
  13. last — finally
  14. bear — the animal
  15. court — of a king
  16. last — final
  17. last — to go on
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. bear — the animal
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. capital — money
  24. press — to push

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