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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. rock — a stone
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. pit — a hole
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. club — for dancing
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. club — a group
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — to push
  15. wound — an injury
  16. cold — an illness
  17. cold — not warm
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. rock — music
  20. club — for golf
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. pit — in a race
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. rock — to move gently

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