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 120 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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. net — after costs
  4. press — newspapers
  5. scale — in music
  6. net — in sport
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cell — a phone
  11. rest — a break
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. can — to be able to
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. rest — what's left
  17. scale — size or range
  18. net — for catching
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — in a race
  21. can — a tin
  22. wake — a trail
  23. can — a tin
  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