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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. swing — in golf
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. swing — to play on
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. press — newspapers
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. press — to push
  15. lean — thin
  16. swing — music
  17. race — a contest
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. lean — to bend
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — in music
  22. race — humankind
  23. race — the arms race
  24. pitcher — a jug

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