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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. press — a publisher
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cell — in biology
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — certain
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. pitch — completely
  11. season — in sport
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — to push
  19. rush — hurry
  20. bound — tied together
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. season — of the year
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. pitch — a sports field

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