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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. face — part of the head
  4. squash — the sport
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — to push
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. face — to confront
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. date — the fruit
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. pop — to visit
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. face — to point toward
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. press — a publisher
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. squash — to crush
  22. pop — soda
  23. branch — a division
  24. pop — music

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