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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. press — to push
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. press — a publisher
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. march — the month
  7. ball — a dance
  8. pitch — completely
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. march — music
  11. content — happy
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. lie — to recline
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. content — the amount
  17. ball — a great time
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. press — newspapers
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. march — the month
  24. racket — for tennis

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