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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. cap — a hat
  5. race — a contest
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mine — for digging
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bore — to drill
  11. cap — a lid
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. press — to push
  14. press — a publisher
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. bore — to tire
  17. race — humankind
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. cap — of ice
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. race — the arms race

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