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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. band — a ring
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — a publisher
  5. sharp — clever
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. season — in sport
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. band — a music group
  12. rush — hurry
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — for digging
  15. capital — a city
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. stock — shares
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. press — to push
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. capital — money
  23. season — of the year
  24. stock — goods

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