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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. saw — the tool
  3. net — for catching
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. press — newspapers
  6. pop — to visit
  7. saw — the tool
  8. land — ground
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — hasty
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. press — a publisher
  13. land — a country
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. land — to come down
  16. pop — soda
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. face — part of the head
  19. net — in sport
  20. pop — music
  21. stand — to bear
  22. press — to push
  23. face — to point toward
  24. face — to confront

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