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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. scale — in music
  3. spring — of water
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. scale — size or range
  6. press — to push
  7. cold — not warm
  8. root — the cause
  9. spring — a coil
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. press — newspapers
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for dancing
  14. press — a publisher
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. net — in sport
  17. club — for golf
  18. root — of a plant
  19. cold — an illness
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. net — after costs
  22. spring — the season
  23. root — of a word
  24. cold — the Cold War

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