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 one o'clock ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. press — to push
  4. press — a publisher
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. band — a ring
  7. press — newspapers
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. land — a country
  10. swing — to play on
  11. land — ground
  12. key — in music
  13. key — for a lock
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. swing — in golf
  16. key — the most important part
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. sharp — clever
  19. plane — a tool
  20. swing — music
  21. land — to come down
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. band — a music group
  24. leaves — of a tree

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