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 120 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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. pit — a hole
  3. press — a publisher
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. swing — to play on
  6. press — to push
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. mate — a partner
  10. rush — hurry
  11. cell — a phone
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. press — newspapers
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a friend
  17. spring — a coil
  18. spring — of water
  19. pit — in a race
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. swing — in golf
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. spring — the season

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