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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. tear — to rip
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. press — to push
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. race — a contest
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. race — the arms race
  11. season — in sport
  12. press — newspapers
  13. scale — in music
  14. tear — from crying
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — soda
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. date — the fruit
  20. race — humankind
  21. tear — from crying
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. scale — size or range

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