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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. present — there
  3. season — in sport
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — to push
  6. prune — to trim
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — the time now
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. land — a country
  11. press — a publisher
  12. prune — to trim
  13. land — to come down
  14. board — to get on
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. board — a committee
  22. land — ground
  23. season — of the year
  24. calf — of the leg

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