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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. march — the month
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. press — a publisher
  5. face — to point toward
  6. press — newspapers
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. face — to confront
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. face — part of the head
  14. press — to push
  15. spring — the season
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. march — the month
  18. spring — of water
  19. march — music
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bear — the animal
  22. spring — a coil
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. saw — the tool

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