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 116 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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. net — in sport
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — high quality
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. season — in sport
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. net — for catching
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. season — of the year
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. press — a publisher
  16. sharp — clever
  17. press — to push
  18. pass — a permit
  19. press — newspapers
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. net — after costs
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. fine — all right

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