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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. cap — a lid
  3. wake — a trail
  4. charge — in control
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. net — for catching
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. net — in sport
  9. press — a publisher
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bound — obliged
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. press — to push
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. press — newspapers
  17. bound — certain
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. charge — a price
  20. date — the fruit
  21. net — after costs
  22. toast — bread
  23. cap — of ice
  24. charge — electricity

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