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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. staff — employees
  7. press — newspapers
  8. branch — a division
  9. staff — a stick
  10. field — farmland
  11. staff — employees
  12. content — happy
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. press — to push
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. content — the amount
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. foot — a measure
  23. chair — a leader
  24. field — for sport

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