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 124 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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. row — to paddle
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. row — a line
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. mug — a face
  8. press — to push
  9. press — a publisher
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. field — for sport
  13. field — a subject
  14. press — newspapers
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mug — to rob
  19. rule — a law
  20. field — farmland
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mine — for digging
  24. pitch — completely

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