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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. present — there
  3. press — a publisher
  4. field — for sport
  5. present — the time now
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. field — farmland
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. snap — to click
  13. press — newspapers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. field — a subject
  16. key — the most important part
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. key — in music
  19. press — to push
  20. present — a gift
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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