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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. club — a group
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. press — newspapers
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bore — to drill
  10. season — in sport
  11. capital — a city
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — thin
  14. pop — to visit
  15. mark — a trace
  16. pop — music
  17. season — of the year
  18. lean — to bend
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — for dancing
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bore — to tire
  23. pop — soda
  24. capital — money

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