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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. spring — the season
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. game — a match
  5. file — a document
  6. press — a publisher
  7. game — wild animals
  8. press — newspapers
  9. scale — size or range
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. file — a line of people
  12. net — for catching
  13. file — a tool
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spring — of water
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. net — after costs
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. press — to push
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. net — in 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