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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. press — a publisher
  3. file — a document
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. press — newspapers
  6. spell — magic
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. stem — to come from
  9. file — a tool
  10. season — in sport
  11. file — a line of people
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. pitch — completely
  15. spell — letters
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. press — to push
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. spell — a short time
  21. season — of the year
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. stem — of a plant

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