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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. can — a tin
  4. court — of law
  5. court — of a king
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. court — for sport
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bear — the animal
  10. tube — a container
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. tube — the underground
  13. can — a tin
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. mine — for digging
  16. bound — tied together
  17. press — to push
  18. press — newspapers
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bear — the animal
  21. press — a publisher
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bound — certain
  24. mine — an explosive

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